Gujarat court concludes hearing on Asaram's temporary bail

A Gandhinagar court concluded the hearing on temporary bail application filed by Asaram Bapu, an accused in an alleged rape case, which had sought seeking release of 30 days to perform the last rites of his nephew.
Additional District Judge R A Ghoghari of Gandhinagar court is likely to deliver the verdict tomorrow.
Asaram wants to be released for a period of 30 days to perform the last rites of his sister's son Shankar Pagrani (68) who died on March 19. His body has been kept in a cold storage in a city civil hospital.
During the hearing of the plea, Public Prosecutor R C Kodekar opposed his plea and submitted that the two brothers of the late nephew could perform his last rituals.

Kodekar also contended that Asaram's release could create a law and order problem.
However, Asaram's lawyer B M Gupta told the court that his client should be released on temporary bail for 30 days since Pagrani had expressed his last wish that his last rituals must be performed by his maternal uncle Asaram because his parents died long ago.

Two Surat-based sisters had lodged separate complaints against Asaram and his son Narayan Sai accusing them of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and levelling other charges.
The elder sister, in her complaint against Asaram, had accused him of repeated sexual assaults between 2001 and 2006 during the time she was living at his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

Asaram (73) is currently lodged in a Rajasthan jail after being arrested in September 2013 for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl at his Jodhpur ashram.