Asaram surrenders at Jodhpur jail after High Court upholds life term in rape case

Jodhpur (TIP): Self-styled godman Asaram surrendered before the authorities at the Jodhpur Central Jail on May 28 evening, a day after the Rajasthan High Court cancelled his interim bail while upholding his life sentence in the 2013 minor rape case.
News of his arrival had drawn a large crowd of supporters to the Jodhpur airport earlier in the day. He greeted followers and offered blessings from inside his vehicle before proceeding to his ashram in Pal village. After spending some time at the local ashram in Jodhpur, he visited AIIMS for a medical examination and later surrendered in the evening. The Jodhpur bench of the high court on Wednesday dismissed Asaram’s appeal and revoked the interim bail, which was extended till July 7.
At the time of the verdict, Asaram, who has been out on bail since October, was staying in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
His counsel said that they are studying the order and would proceed accordingly on challenging the High Court’s verdict in the Supreme Court.
The division bench of Justice Arun Monga and Justice Yogendra Kumar Purohit had delivered a detailed judgment in the sensational case, affirming the life imprisonment awarded by the trial court. Delivering the order, the bench made strong observations on the impact of the crime on the survivor. Referring to the survivor’s birth date, the court remarked that she was born on July 4, celebrated as Independence Day in the United States, and symbolised freedom, dignity and self-respect.