Asaram moves HC seeking bail to perform last rites of nephew

Ahmedabad: Self-styled godman Asaram, an accused in a rape case, on Thursday moved the Gujarat High Court seeking a temporary bail of 30 days to perform the last rites of his nephew, a day after his plea was rejected by a Gandhinagar court.

The Gandhinagar court denied him bail saying the last rites of Shankar Pagrani (68), who died on 19 March, can be performed by other family-members.

Pagrani’s body has been kept in a cold storage at city civil hospital.

Asaram’s plea said it was Pagrani’s last wish that Asaram, who is his maternal uncle, should perform the last rites as his parents had already died.

The case of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other offences was filed against Asaram by a Surat-based girl who accused him of repeatedly sexually assaulting her between 2001 and 2006 when she was living in his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

Her younger sister had lodged a separate complaint against Asaram’s son Narayan Sai for rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other offences.

Asaram is currently lodged in a Rajasthan jail since his arrest in September 2013 for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl at his Jodhpur ashram.

The application will come up for hearing in next two days.

PTI