Gujarat govt to challenge acquittal of six persons in 2013 rape case against Asaram in HC

The State government's law department has decided to file an appeal in the High Court against the Trial Court's acquittal order of the six accused. A court in Gujarat's Gandhinagar in January this year sentenced self-styled godman Asaram to life imprisonment in connection with a 2013 sexual assault case.

Ahmedabad (Gujarat): The Gujarat government has decided to move the High Court, challenging the acquittal of self-styled godman Asaram's wife, their daughter and his four disciples in a 2013 rape case in which he was sentenced to life imprisonment, an official said on Thursday.

The State government's law department has decided to file an appeal in the High Court against the Trial Court's acquittal order of the six accused. A court in Gujarat's Gandhinagar in January this year sentenced self-styled godman Asaram to life imprisonment in connection with a 2013 sexual assault case.

Asaram is sentenced to life imprisonment under Sections 376 & 377 in a sexual assault case. Court ordered Rs 50,000 ex-gratia to the victim, Public Prosecutor RC Kodekar said. The 81-year-old is currently serving a life sentence in a Jodhpur case in another case of raping a minor girl at his ashram in Rajasthan in 2013.

In the 2013 case, a girl from Surat accused Asaram of rape. Statements from 68 people were taken in the case. There was a total of seven accused, including Asaram. Earlier there were a total of eight accused but one of them became a government witness.

The octogenarian godman is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail and has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Jodhpur court. In the 2013 case, Asaram was accused of rape by a Surat girl, while Narayan Sai was accused of rape by her younger sister. Narayan Sai has been sentenced to life imprisonment whereas the verdict came on Asaram, in which he was found guilty.

In this case, apart from Asaram, his wife Lakshmi, daughter Bharati and four female followers Dhruvben, Nirmala, Jassi, and Meera were accused. All of these were acquitted. The police have said that in this case, they had received strong evidence against Asaram. (ANI)