SC rejects Asaram's bail plea

The Supreme Court Tuesday rejected the bail plea of spiritual guru Asaram Bapu, currently in jail for allegedly raping a minor girl studying in one of his ashrams.

A bench headed by Justice T.S. Thakur said that the ground cited by Asaram was not of such urgency to grant him bail.

After perusing the report on the medical condition of Asaram by the team of doctors from Jodhpur-based S.N. Medical College, the court said that he was suffering from the ailment for the last 15 years and was being treated for it.

Asaram was examined for neurological aliment trigeminal neuralgia, which causes severe pain on the face or the forehead, and the course of treatment required.

In the last hearing of the matter August 19, the court had asked the principal of Jodhpur-based S.N. Medical College to constitute a team of doctors to examine Asaram for the ailment.

As senior counsel Salman Khurshid told the court that his client needed surgical treatment of gamma-knife procedure, the court asked him to indicate the hospital where he wanted to be treated.

The 72-year-old guru was arrested after a 16-year-old girl lodged a police complaint Aug 20, 2013, accusing him of sexually assaulting her at his ashram in Jodhpur.

The court also said that unless the critical witnesses in the case are examined, he would not be set free on bail.

It asked Additional Solicitor General Pinki Anand who appeared for the Rajasthan government to give the apex court the names of six witnesses which are critical and crucial for the prosecution in the case.