The bail plea of self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, accused of allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, was Wednesday rejected by a Jodhpur court after the prosecution raised strong objection to setting him free.
The district and sessions judge (rural) Manoj Kumar Vyas dismissed the bail plea after two days of hearing arguments by Asaram’s counsel K.K. Manan and perusing prosecution’s detailed reply.
The court rejected the defence counsel’s arguments raised over the FIR, medical report and statement of the girl who was sexually assaulted, additional advocate Geneal Anand Purohit told reporters.
Seventy-two-year-old Asaram was sent to jail on Monday after he was remanded in 14-day judicial custody by a court here. Asaram was arrested in Indore following an FIR lodged by the victim.
Asaram’s counsel alleged that the police had worked under the pressure of media and prepared FIR in a hurry. He contended that the FIR against Asaram does not stand as there are several lacunae in it.
Asaram has been booked under sections 376, 342, 506 and 509 of the IPC, section 8 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and sections 23 and 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act in connection with the alleged assault.
The defence claimed that the victim was not minor as was being claimed and in fact was an adult and so the charges under POSCO against Asaram also do not stand.
Asaram was arrested amid high drama on the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday in Indore and brought here on Monday for interrogation. He has denied the charges.
Asaram has cleared a potency test conducted on him at the SN Medical College here. To recreate the incident, police had also also taken to his Manai Ashram, about 30 km from Jodhpur, where the girl was allegedly sexually assaulted.