Rajasthan High Court refused to give relief, directed to ensure Ayurvedic treatment
New Delhi, (IANS)| The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea by self-styled godman Asaram Bapu seeking suspension of sentence for raping a minor girl so that she can avail Ayurvedic treatment. A bench of Justice Indira Banerjee, Justice V. Ramasubramaniam and Justice Bela M. Trivedi said that the offense for which Asaram has been convicted was not “a common offence”.
Earlier, the Rajasthan High Court had refused to grant him relief in this case and then Asaram moved the apex court. The bench told Asaram’s counsel that his client would get Ayurvedic treatment in jail itself. Continuing Ayurvedic treatment is not a problem. Jail officials will be instructed to ensure Ayurvedic treatment of the convict. Senior advocate R.K., representing Asaram. Basant argued that the sentence suspension was being sought for only six weeks due to his ill health. He requested the court to show some mercy in the matter. However, the bench did not deviate from this argument.
Basant said there was no treatment in the jail. Opposing this argument, senior advocate Manish Singhvi, appearing for Rajasthan, argued that all necessary treatment is being provided to the convict in jail. Basant said that his client is 85 years old and can he commit the crime again? Asaram is serving life term in Jodhpur Central Jail for raping a minor girl. He was found COVID-19 positive on May 6 and was shifted to AIIMS, Jodhpur. As per his May 19 medical report, he was stable and fit for discharge from the hospital.
Asaram initially moved the High Court seeking bail for Ayurvedic treatment, but his application was rejected. The High Court had directed the district and jail administration to ensure that he is given proper treatment in a suitable medical institution. Thereafter, he challenged this order in the top court. The Rajasthan government had informed the Supreme Court that Asaram was not cooperating with doctors at AIIMS, Jodhpur, as there was an ulterior motive to get his place of detention shifted. The state government claimed that under the guise of medical treatment, Asaram had made a third attempt to get his sentence suspended.
The state government in an affidavit challenging the bail plea for Ayurvedic medical treatment said, “In the previous round of the petition, the accused had prayed for immediate medical surgery for his illness through allopathic method, which failed and now The present petition of the accused has sought suspension of sentence for getting his treatment done by Ayurveda system.”