Jaipur, Feb 10 (IANS) Rajasthan High Court Monday rejected the bail plea of spiritual guru Asaram, arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, a lawyer said.
The court however released on bail two other co-accused identified as Shilpi and Shiva who were arrested for abetting the crime.
Asaram, 72, is currently lodged in the Jodhpur Central Jail since Sep 2 last year. He filed a bail application before the Jodhpur bench of the high court after his earlier bail bail plea was rejected by the same court in October.
“Justice Nirmaljit Kaur rejected his bail application today (Monday) after hearing arguments from the defence and prosecution lawyers,” said prosecution counsel Mahipal Bishnoi.
“While the court denied bail to Asaram, two other accused Shilpi and Shiva were released on bail,” said Bishnoi.
Police filed chargesheet against Asaram in November.
Asaram is booked for rape, criminal intimidation, wrongful confinement, assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty, word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and some sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
On Aug 20, a 16-year-old girl lodged a police complaint accusing Asaram of sexually assaulting her at his ashram near Jodhpur.
Asaram was arrested from his ashram in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, and brought to Jodhpur on Sep 1.