SC refuses to entertain Asaram Bapu’s plea for suspension of sentence in minor’s rape case

New Delhi [India]: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a plea by self-proclaimed godman Asaram, who is currently serving a life sentence in a rape case, seeking the suspension of his sentence.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta asked senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi to go to the Rajasthan High Court for further procedure.

The bench suggested that he move to the Rajasthan High Court with a plea for treatment at an Ayurvedic hospital. Consequently, Asaram then withdrew his petition from the apex court.

Asaram had sought suspension of his sentence, citing a decline in his health condition.

The top court asked the High Court to hear Asaram’s appeal expeditiously.

Rohatgi told the bench that Asaram has had many heart attacks, suffers from anaemia with bleeding in the stomach, and has other health issues because of his age.

In 2018, Asaram was found guilty by a special court in Jodhpur for crimes like sexual assault, including rape and was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Asaram has been in custody since September 2, 2013, after being arrested in Indore and brought to Jodhpur for raping a teenage girl in his ashram that year.

The girl had reported that she was called to his ashram near Jodhpur and assaulted by him on the night of August 15, 2013.