Asaram Bapu rape case: Supreme Court questions Gujarat govt for slow trial

The Supreme Court on 28 August questioned the Gujarat Government for slow trial over self-styled accused godman, Asaram Bapu, in connection with a rape case registered against him.

There are separate rape cases registered against the accused in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

On August 1, the Apex Court heard the plea filed by Asaram in this case.

Earlier in April, the Supreme Court had asked the Gujarat trial court to consider Asaram Bapu's case urgently and finish the trial in a time-bound manner.

In another case registered against him, the apex court had earlier dismissed his bail plea in a Rajasthan harassment case, where a teenager had accused him of sexually assaulting her during celebrations in a village near Jodhpur Ashram.

The Jodhpur Police arrested Asaram on August 3, 2013 and since then, he has been in prison.

The apex court had in October last year sought the Centre's response and five states on a plea seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged murder of children through black magic and attacks on ten witnesses in Asaram's rape cases.

Asaram Bapu's son Narayan Sai had also been named in connection with a rape case registered against him by the Gujarat state.

Sai was arrested for allegedly raping a Surat-based woman who was his father's disciple between 2002 and 2005.

The Gujarat Government had earlier told the top court division bench that the rape case registered against Asaram would very likely precede in an expeditious manner, adding that the trial would be completed within six months so the bail should not be granted to him in the case. 

-ANI