Shahjahanpur
With a special SC/ST court in Jodhpur all set to pronounce its verdict in a 2012 rape case against self-styled godman Asaram, the district administration here has stepped up security around the house of the victim. “The security of the victim’s family is continuously being monitored…Five policemen have been deployed at the house and a strict vigil is being maintained on all the visitors,” SP (City) Dinesh Tripathi told PTI on Saturday. “I am personally reviewing the security as the court judgment is likely to come soon and officials are in touch with the family,” the Superintendent of Police (SP) said.
The father of the victim said he had complete faith in the judiciary and was confident that justice would be done. Earlier this month, Judge Madhu Sudan Sharma of the Jodhpur court heard the final arguments from the prosecution and defence counsels for five months and reserved the order for April 25. The teenage girl had accused Asaram of sexual assault at his ashram at Manai village near Jodhpur. The girl, who belonged to Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, was a student living in the ashram.
Asaram, who has been in jail since August 31, 2013, was charged under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. If convicted, Asaram faces a maximum sentence of 10 years. He is also facing a rape case in Gujarat. Earlier, the apex court had refused to grant bail to Asaram on various grounds in the two sexual assault cases lodged in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Two Surat-based sisters had lodged separate complaints against Asaram and his son Narayan Sai, accusing them of rape and illegal confinement, among other charges.
