HC notice to Gujarat over Narayan Sai's bail plea in alleged rape case

Sai has sought bail of 15-days to attend to his ailing mother

The Gujarat High Court today issued a notice to the state government over a temporary bail plea of Narayan Sai, son of self-styled godman Asaram, who is behind bars in an alleged rape case filed by one of the two Surat-based sisters.

Justice Paresh Upadhyay of Gujarat High Court here directed the state government to file its reply with regard to the plea of Sai, who has sought bail of 15-days to attend to his ailing mother.

Sai's mother Lakshmiben has been suffering with spinal cord ailment and has been advised by doctors at the city's Sterling hospital to undergo surgery, the plea said.

Sai has been lodged in Surat jail in connection with the rape case since December 2013. Two sisters from Surat city had lodged two different complaints against Sai and his father Asaram for rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other charges.

Lakshmiben was also booked by the state police in the alleged rape complaint filed against her husband Asaram by the elder sister. However, she was later granted bail by a local court here in 2013. Sai was booked under various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections including rape, unnatural sex, molestation, wrongful confinement, unlawful assembly, rioting armed with deadly weapon, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy.

In her complaint, the younger of the two had accused Sai of repeated sexual assault between 2002 and 2005 when she was living at the Surat ashram.