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SC declines to stay arrest of Asaram Bapu
The Supreme Court on Thursday did not grant interim relief to spiritual leader Asaram Bapu, who had sought a restraint on the state police from arresting him in an attempt to murder case.
The Supreme Court on Thursday did not grant interim relief to spiritual leader Asaram Bapu, who had sought a restraint on the state police from arresting him in an attempt to murder case.
A bench headed by Justice Altamas Kabir rejected the plea of senior counsel Sushil Kumar, who urged the court to pass an order directing the police “not to take coercive steps” against Bapu until the court heard his appeal. The spiritual leader had challenged the Gujarat High Court order that did not give him any protection in the case.
While adjourning the hearing of his appeal to January 4, the SC said: “We will not pass any such order.”
The Gujarat police had on December 6 registered a criminal case against Bapu after one of his followers lodged a complaint with the police in Sabarmati.
According to the complainant, Raju Chandak, two unidentified persons in Ramnagar locality of Sabarmati had on December 5 fired at him.
Chandak had escaped the attack. He suffered bullet injuries to his shoulders and chest following which he was referred to a hospital, where he underwent a surgery.
He later accused Bapu of masterminding the attack and claimed to be targeted since he had testified against the “guru” before the Trivedi Commission, probing the mysterious death of two ashram boys, Dipesh and Abhishek Vaghela.
