Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court has ordered a CBI probe into the disappearance of Rahul Sachan, a key witness in the rape case against self-styled Godman Asaram Bapu. A division bench comprising Justices Amreshwar Pratap Sahi and Vijaylaxmi passed this order yesterday while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding the disappearance of the witness in the case.
Now, the CBI will try to trace whereabouts of Sachan. Sachan was the personal assistant to Asaram and has been missing since November 2015. Sachan, the only witness in the case, was a resident of Vansi Vihar in Takurganj area here. Asaram is lodged in Jodhpur jail under sexual harassment and rape charges.
SC allows Asaram to be treated at AIIMS
The Supreme Court allowed the application of controversial and self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, lodged in Rajasthan jail for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl, to be taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for his medical treatment.
A division bench, headed by Justice Madan B Lokur and comprising Justice R K Agrawal, had allowed Asaram's application for his treatment in AIIMS. After finding that Asaram's health requires to be treated, the bench allowed his application for treatment in the AIIMS. The apex court had this month rejected Asaram's bail application, but it asked the AIIMS to constitute a medical board to evaluate the health condition of the godman.
The Rajasthan High Court, too, had rejected Asaram’s bail plea many a times after citing that the case had reached its “fag end” and thus it was not “appropriate” to grant him bail. The HC had rejected for the ninth consecutive time his regular bail application. In 2013, a minor girl, had in her complaint, alleged that the godman had sexually assaulted her at his ashram in Jodhpur and also criminally intimidated her. Asaram, 73, was arrested in September 2013 after the girl had lodged a police complaint in August that year. The self-styled godman had been in jail since then. (UNI)