Asaram Bapu. File | Photo Credit: PTI
“The family members of Asaram Bapu’s rape victim have been given further protection, a day after they were granted temporary bail on medical grounds by the High Court,” the police said on Wednesday (January 8, 2025).
Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Sanjay Kumar Sagar said that after the High Court’s order, he personally visited the victim’s residence and interviewed the family.
“A police officer has already been assigned to the deceased’s house and the father has a security gun. More police officers have now been added, and the necessary instructions have been issued to the appropriate police station and the district officer to ensure the safety of the family,” Mr. Sagar said.
“Orders have been issued to repair the non-working CCTV cameras around the deceased’s house, and the deceased’s father has been ordered to inform the authorities before leaving. We continue to monitor the safety of the family as this case is at a high level,” Mr. Sagar. added.
The father of the deceased said that he was shocked when he found out that Asaram had been granted interim bail. He said, “I have not been able to sleep since then, as I am very worried about the safety of my family. Even in jail, Asaram was guilty of killing four witnesses – Amrut Prajapati of Rajkot, Akhil Gupta (cook). Rahul Sachan of Lucknow, and Kripal Singh of Shahjahanpur .”
He said, “While I was in jail, Asaram framed false cases against me in Jammu, Jodhpur, Delhi and Surasagar. Two of my witnesses, Bholanand and Sureshanand, are still missing. The government says there are laws in place to ensure conviction of cases against children, but in Asaram’s case, the court continues to show mercy .”
Asaram, who is serving life imprisonment in a sexual assault case, has been granted interim bail by the Supreme Court till March 31, 2025, on medical grounds. The court imposed certain conditions before granting him bail.
Earlier, Asaram was granted amnesty for 7 days in 2018, which was extended by five days. Most recently, he received a 17-day amnesty on December 10, 2024.
In 2013, Asaram was convicted of sexually abusing a child from Shahjahanpur at his Jodhpur ashram. A case filed by the victim’s father in Delhi, resulted in Asaram being sentenced to life imprisonment.
Published – January 08, 2025 06:04 pm IST