A Jodhpur court will on Wednesday pronounce its verdict in the Asaram rape case, inside the premises of the Central Jail in Jodhpur, amid tight security to avoid a repeat of the violent protests and arson seen when another self-styled godman, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, had earlier been sent to jail in a rape case. The case relates to the alleged rape of a teenager by the self-styled godman in 2013.
The Jodhpur Court has dismissed a petition seeking the entry of media persons into the Central Jail of Jodhpur to cover the Asaram rape case judgment. Security has also been beefed up outside the victim's residence. And, apprehending trouble, the Union home ministry has issued an advisory to Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana to step up security, directing them to ensure no violence takes place after the judgment. The three states were also told to deploy additional forces at sensitive places. Apart from these states, the police in Delhi are also on a high. A senior police official said the department was keeping a close watch on Delhi's boundaries and inside the city areas.
At that time the alleged rape took place, the girl had been studying at Asaram’s ashram in Chhindwara, in Madhya Pradesh. She had alleged that Asaram called her to his ashram in Manai area near Jodhpur and raped her on the night of August 15, 2013. Asaram has denied the rape charges.
Final arguments in the Asaram case had been completed by the special court for SC/ST cases on April 7 and the court had kept the order reserved for April 25. Asaram has been under judicial custody since September 2, 2013. Apart from him, the charge-sheet in the case names four other co-accused -- Shiva, Shilpi, Sharad, and Prakash. In another rape case involving Asaram in Surat, Gujarat, the Supreme Court earlier this month, gave five weeks' time to the prosecution to complete the trial.
Here are the top 10 developments and things to know in the Asaram rape case verdict to be delivered in Jodhpur today:
verdict in Asaram rape case today: The Jodhpur Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Court on Wednesday will pronounce its verdict in the rape case against Asaram. On April 7, the Jodhpur SC/ST Court had completed its hearing in the Asaram rape case. The verdict comes nearly five years after rape charges were levelled against the self-styled godman.
2) Asaram could get 10 years in jail: If convicted in the rape case in which the Jodhpur court will pronounce its verdict today, Asaram could be jailed for a minimum of 10 years or awarded a maximum life term, according to prosecution lawyers. The charge-sheet against Asaram and four other co-accused was filed by the police under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012, Juvenile Justice Act, and IPC.
3) Asaram rape case verdict to be delivered inside Central Jail in Jodhpur: Apprehending trouble from thousands of Asaram's followers and to avoid a repeat of the Dera Sacha Sauda incident -- there were incidents of violence in Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh after a special court in Mohali last year convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case -- the Jodhpur court will pronounce its verdict in the Asaram rape case inside the premises of the Central Jail in Jodhpur. Considering an appeal from the Jodhpur Police Commissioner, a Division Bench of the Rajasthan High Court ordered the trial court to deliver its verdict inside the jail premises. The Division Bench comprising Justice Gopal K Vyas and Justice Ram Chandra Singh Jhala also issued guidelines to the Jodhpur Police Commissioner and the District Magistrate and Collector to ensure law and order in the city.
The Centre on Tuesday asked the Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana governments to tighten security and deploy additional forces ahead of the Asaram rape case verdict today. These three states have a large number of followers of the 77-year-old self-styled godman. In a communication, the Union Home Ministry told the three states to beef up security and ensure that no violence took place after the judgment. The three states were also told to deploy additional forces at sensitive places, a home ministry official said.
The ministry is in touch with the states concerned and Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba has spoken to top-level administrative and police officials over the issue.
Superintendent of Police K B Singh said a vigil was also being kept outside Asaram's ashram at Rudrapur in Uttarakhand.
Since Monday, security has been tightened in Jodhpur. Jodhpur Police Commissioner Ashok Rathore told news agencies that Section 144 had been enforced in the city. "We are glad the court accepted our request to deliver the judgment from inside the jail premises," he added.
8) Verdict comes after 12 failed bail applications: Asaram has unsuccessfully moved 12 bail applications. Of these, six were rejected by the trial court, three by the Rajasthan High Court, and three by the Supreme Court.
Asaram is also facing a rape case in Gujarat, where two Surat-based sisters had lodged separate complaints against the self-styled godman and his son Narayan Sai, accusing them of rape.
10) Detailed timeline of the Asaram rape case:
a) Asaram was arrested on the complaint filed by a teenage girl from Shahajahanpur alleging the self-styled godman raped her at his ashram in Manai area near Jodhpur on the night of August 15, 2013.
b) Subsequently, Asaram was arrested from Indore and brought to Jodhpur on September 1, 2013. He has been under judicial custody since September 2, 2013.
c) A charge-sheet against Asaram and the four other co-accused had been filed by police on November 6, 2013.
d) The trial of the case had begun in the district and session court on March 19, 2017, which had been shifted to the special court for SC/ST cases on December 16, 2016.
e) The Jodhpur SC/ST Court on April 7 completed its hearing in the rape case against Asaram.
f) On April 17, the court had decided to pronounce the verdict against self-styled godman in the rape case in Jodhpur Central Jail to avoid any law and order situation in the state.
With agency inputs