Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India today questioned the Government of Gujarat for the slow trial in the Asaram Bapu rape case. A bench comprising justices N V Ramanna and Amitava Roy also asked the government the reason as to why the victim in this particular case has not been examined till now. Further, the state government has been asked to file an affidavit in this regard. The apex court had on April 12 asked the trial court in Gujarat to expedite the recording of evidence of prosecution witnesses in a sexual assault case lodged by two Surat-based sisters against the self-styled godman. The court had asked the Surat trial court to record the testimonies of 46 remaining prosecution witnesses including the alleged rape victims.
The 76-year-old guru has been in a Rajasthan jail since August 2013, over allegations of raping a 16-year-old schoolgirl at his ashram earlier that year. Two months later he, along with his son Narayan Sai, were booked for the alleged rape of two sisters at their ashram in Gujarat’s Surat. The trial is pending in a court in Gandhinagar.
The Supreme Court is hearing Asaram Bapu’s request for bail. His lawyer has argued that the rape survivor is yet to be questioned and his client had been in jail for more than four years.
Gujarat replied that it is the so-called “godman” who is delaying the trial.
Earlier this year, the court had asked the court in Gujarat to speed up recording of the evidence of the women and other witnesses.
Over 40 witnesses are believed to have still not recorded their statements.
“Don’t linger it. This is what we want to say (to) you (Gujarat). Expedite the recording of evidence,” the judges said in April.
The Supreme Court had earlier refused to grant bail to Asaram Bapu on various grounds including his poor health.
In the time that Asaram Bapu and his son have been in jail, six witnesses have been attacked and two have died.
