A court in Muzaffarpur on Wednesday issued a ‘body warrant’ for the arrest of spiritual leader Asaram Bapu in connection with a complaint case filed over his allegedly sexist remarks in the Delhi gangrape case.
The court of Muzaffarpur’s chief judicial magistrate (CJM) SP Singh issued the warrant after hearing a complaint case registered against Bapu for his “derogatory remarks” about women in connection with the December 16 Delhi gangrape case.
According to Patna high court advocate RRK Pandey, the issuance of a body warrant against Bapu means he will have be to arrested and produced in the court that issues it.
“A body warrant is different from a non-bailable warrant in that in the former case one can obtain bail after being produced in court, whereas in the latter case there can be no bail,” Pandey explained.
The court issued the warrant of arrest after Bapu neither appeared before it in person nor petitioned for personal appearance exemption, despite two summons being issued for his personal appearance in the court.
The court also directed the Delhi Police commissioner to comply with the warrant before the next hearing in the case on August 12 this year.
{{/usCountry}}The court also directed the Delhi Police commissioner to comply with the warrant before the next hearing in the case on August 12 this year.
{{/usCountry}}The petitioner in the case, advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha, had, in his complaint, cited Bapu’s alleged remark that the Delhi gang rape victim could have saved herself by addressing her violators as bhaiyya (brother) and beseeching for mercy.