Rape case: High court slams Asaram Bapu, denies bail

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat high court on Monday denied bail to Asaram in a rape case on the ground that "there are all chances that he may tamper with the evidence in the nature of witnesses".

Justice Ashish Desai turned down Asaram's bail plea and observed that since a number of witnesses have approached the trial court with different types of allegations against the prosecution, there is a likelihood that witnesses may be influenced if he is granted bail.

Justice Desai said, "Prima facie, what I found is that, how a downtrodden girl was initially influenced with the behaviour of the applicant (Asaram) who has numerous followers appearing in the public posing himself as a 'god'. A teenager girl from a family of labourers is bound to be influenced if certain special treatment is given to her though unaware about the dirty intention of the so-called guru."

The order further reads, "Witnesses who had actually stayed in the ashram reveal that Asaram was interested in young girls to satisfy his desires. Initially, he used to pamper a girl and shall provide such facilities which would not have been thought of by a girl who comes from a lower strata of society."

The court also said that Asaram had dominion as well as control over the girls who were residing in the Ashram and, therefore, those girls might not have come forward about the crime at that time. When Asaram had crossed all limits and tried to indulge in similar activities at Jodhpur, the victim thought it fit and rightly so to lodge an FIR against him.

Asaram and his son Narayan Sai were accused of rape on October 6, 2013 by two sisters from Surat. As the offence alleged against Asaram happened in his ashram in Motera, the FIR was transferred to Chandkheda police, who filed a chargesheet last year.