The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea by self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, undergoing life term for rape of a minor girl, for two months interim bail for Ayurvedic treatment.
A three-judge bench presided over by Justice Indira Banerjee said the petitioner was not involved in an ordinary crime and he would get all his Ayurvedic treatments in jail.
Senior advocate R Basant, appearing for Asaram contended that the petitioner was seeking interim bail for two months to "keep his body and soul together" as he was over 85 years of age.
He sought relief as a mercy from the court as there were certificates by the doctors as well to support his plea.
The bench, however, said, "Continuing Ayurvedic treatment is not a problem. We'll direct the (Jodhpur) jail authorities to take care of that."
Senior advocate Manish Singhvi, appearing for the Rajasthan government, submitted that the petitioner has been getting the best possible treatment in jail.
Earlier, the Rajasthan government has told the court that Asaram Bapu was not cooperating with the doctors at AIIMS Jodhpur with an ulterior motive to get himself shifted out of his custody.
Opposing his plea to allow him Ayurvedic treatment as an abuse of the process, the state government said Asaram has made a third attempt to get his sentence suspended, under the garb of medical treatment.
The father of the child rape victim has also moved the court opposing the bail plea of Asaram, saying he was apprehensive that his daughter and his family could be killed by the followers or henchmen of the "powerful" godman.
(Published 31 August 2021, 15:04 IST)
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