Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Apr 25: A Jodhpur Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Court is set to pronounce its verdict in a rape case against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu on Wednesday, April 25. Security in Rajasthan has been heightened in view of the verdict against Asaram Bapu. Other states — Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana — have been asked to step up their security to prevent any untoward incident and deploy additional forces to the sensitive areas, a Home Ministry official said. We are running live news updates on the verdict in the rape case against Asaram Bapu, stay with us to catch instant updates.
Following an appeal from the Jodhpur Police Commissioner, a division bench of the Rajasthan High Court on April 17 ordered the trial court to deliver its verdict inside the jail premises. The bench comprising Justice Gopal K. Vyas and Justice Ram Chandra Singh Jhala also issued guidelines to the Commissioner to ensure law and order in the city on the verdict day. The final arguments in the Asaram Bapu rape case were completed on April 7, 2018.
The Jodhpur Police on Tuesday said that Section 144 will be imposed in the city till April 30. “Rajasthan High Court made arrangements for judgement in Asaram rape case to be pronounced inside Jodhpur Central Jail on April 25. Section 144 of CRPC will be imposed in Jodhpur till April 30.We appeal to the public to follow the order. More than four people can’t assemble in public,” a police officer told reporters here. “We will not tolerate any kind of nonsense. We have taken all precautionary measures. We are confident that we will be able to handle law and order,” Jodhpur East (DCP) Amandeep Singh Kapoor said.
Asaram Bapu was arrested on August 31 in 2013 following a sexual harassment complaint against him. The 16-year-old girl, who belonged to Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, alleged that the godman had called her to his ashram in Manai area near Jodhpur and raped her on the night of August 15 in 2013. There are two rape cases against the self-styled godman. In another case, two Surat-based sisters had lodged separate complaints against the Godman and his son Narayan Sai, accusing them of rape. Asaram was booked under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and the SC/ST Act.