SC denies interim bail to Asaram Bapu, directs AIIMS to constitute medical board

Supreme Court on Thursday denied interim bail to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu who is facing rape and murder charges and had applied for bail on medical grounds. The apex court directed AIIMS to constitute a medical board to evaluate the condition of Asaram and submit a report within 10 days, on the basis of which his regular bail plea would be taken up.

A bench of justices MB Lokur and RK Agrawal said, "We are not inclined to grant relief to petitioner.... We direct the director of AIIMS to constitute a panel of three doctors to examine the health condition of petitioner (Asaram) and submit report in ten days."

75-year -old Asaram was arrested by Jodhpur Police on August 31, 2013 on the charges of sexual assault of a teenage girl at his ashram in Manai village near Jodhpur. The girl belonging to Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh was a student at the ashram. Asaram has been in jail ever since then. Two days back, even the Rajasthan High Court had rejected his ninth regular bail. 

Senior advocate Raju Ramachandran who appeared for Asaram told the Supreme Court that he has poor control over his urination and bowel movement and jail doctors have said that he defecates in bed.  He also added that the medical board constituted on the direction of the High Court has opined that his health condition was deteriorating and sought interim bail for him for a period of one or two months. "As per the doctors, he needs to go to Kerala where he needs to undergoes Panchakarma (Ayurvedic purification and detoxification treatment) as the climate is suitable for this kind of treatment," Ramachandran said.

With agency inputs