Asaram is a rape accused still this retired HC chief justice dived at his feet outside Jodhpur court
Retired Sikkim High Court Chief Justice SN Bhargava touched rape accused Asaram's feet while the latter was being produced in Jodhpur court in the sexual assault case.
In Short
- Retired Justice Bhargava touches Asaram's feet.
- Asaram is an undertrial in a case of rape.
- Justice Bhargava said he came to Jodhpur court for darshan.
Accused of raping a minor girl at his ashram on the pretext of exorcising her from evil spirits, Asaram is still a godman to many including a former chief justice of the Sikkim High Court.
Retired Justice Sundar Nath Bhargava, who is also a former governor, has stirred a controversy with public display of affection and reverence to rape accused Asaram while the latter was being produced in Jodhpur court yesterday.
The case of sexual assault against Asaram is being heard on daily basis in the Jodhpur court, where the self-styled godman is brought everyday from jail. When Asaram was brought to the court by the Rajasthan police officials, Justice Bhargava was one of those present in the premises.
As the police brought Asaram to the Jodhpur court in connection with the IT Act and sexual assault cases, Justice Bhargava fell in the rape accused godman's feet when the latter got down from the police van. The two security personnel accompanying the retired judge also touched feet of Asaram.
WHAT JUDGE, ASARAM SAID?
When Justice Bhargava was asked about his public display of reverence to a rape accused, he said, "I had come to Jodhpur to attend a private function. But when I came to know that Asaram would be produced in the court, I came here for his darshan."
Later when Asaram was being taken away from the court back to the jail, he sounded more confident than other days. He said, "Justice Bhargava is one of my old devotees. He knows me for long. He wanted to meet me. So, he came here. He has good contacts in judiciary. Something good will happen."
Asaram and his ashrams have been in controversy over a range of alleged crimes. Before being arrested in the case of sexual assault, Asaram controlled a network of ashrams across the country.
ASARAM AND CASES
In 2008, his ashrams came under sharp scrutiny after deaths of four students studying in the gurukuls run under Asaram's management. It was alleged that black magic was practiced in these ashrams. However, a probe by Gujarat police gave the ashrams clean chit in the case.
In August 2013, a 16-year-old accused Asaram of raping her inside his Jodhpur ashram. The parents of the girl filed a complaint with the Delhi police, which booked Asaram under relevant sections of IPC. Later, the case was transferred to Jodhpur.
After much dilly-dallying tactics by Asaram, the Rajasthan police managed to arrest him from his Indore ashram in September. Asaram's son Narayan Sai was also arrested on the charges of rape in December, 2013 on the complaints by two sisters in Surat, Gujarat.