New Delhi: The Supreme Courtroom on Friday dismissed a plea by self-styled godman Asaram, who’s serving a life sentence in a rape case, to droop his sentence attributable to his failing well being. The court docket instructed senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who represented Asaram, to hunt reduction from the Rajasthan Excessive Courtroom as a substitute. Rohatgi had stated that Asaram was able to observe the general public prosecutor’s suggestion of getting remedy at Madhavbaug Coronary heart Hospital in Maharashtra’s Khopoli underneath police custody.
The court docket requested Asaram to file an software earlier than the Rajasthan Excessive Courtroom for permission to get remedy at Madhavbaug Coronary heart Hospital and stated it could be determined as per the legislation. The court docket additionally expressed concern over Asaram’s “deliberate makes an attempt” to stall the listening to of his attraction in opposition to his conviction and sentence within the excessive court docket.
The court docket ordered a speedy listening to of his attraction after Rohatgi claimed that Asaram had suffered a number of coronary heart assaults and was affected by anaemia with gastrointestinal bleeding, together with different age-related ailments.
In his plea, filed by advocate Rajesh Gulab Inamdar, Asaram stated he had spent greater than 11 years and seven months in jail within the case.
“The petitioner respectfully submits that he’s affected by numerous life-threatening well being issues, reminiscent of coronary heart illness, hypothyroidism, anaemia with gastrointestinal bleeding, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and a historical past of diabetes, hypertension, COVID-pneumonia and urosepsis, a lethal urinary tract an infection,” the plea said.
It added that Asaram had been identified with ischemic coronary heart illness and acute coronary syndrome, which meant that his coronary heart was not getting sufficient oxygen-rich blood, and melena-black, tarry stools- attributable to fixed intestinal bleeding.
“The petitioner’s state of affairs is extraordinarily harmful and deadly, the place his imprisonment is deteriorating his situation with each passing second and might result in his horrible and agonizing demise. The petitioner is afraid that he would possibly face the identical destiny as Stan Swamy, who died in jail whereas his case was pending for listening to,” the plea stated.
On July 5, 2021, priest-activist Stan Swamy (84), who was arrested underneath anti-terror legislation within the Elgar Parishad case, handed away in a Mumbai hospital whereas he was combating for bail on well being grounds.
Asaram’s plea stated that he was in a weak and anaemic state attributable to his outdated age and was tormented by deadly ailments that had been eroding and tormenting his physique and thoughts. He didn’t assume that he would survive the guts bypass surgical procedure.
“He has a powerful case on deserves and has each hope of successful his attraction, which is pending earlier than the Rajasthan Excessive Courtroom at Jodhpur. Nevertheless, it will not be improper to say that given his steady imprisonment that’s destroying his physique day-by-day, he could not reside to see the day that he’s lastly cleared of all expenses and his attraction is upheld and turns into remaining as much as this court docket,” the plea stated.
Asaram’s plea stated that underneath these circumstances, he had nobody to wish to however God and this court docket alone, and if they didn’t come to his rescue instantly to save lots of his life, it could be too late. He would, it stated, be compelled to just accept probably the most extreme punishment of all identified to mankind, the demise penalty, pending attraction.
“It’s respectfully submitted that the petitioner has not been given reduction for even a single day and his request for even a grant of parole has been denied by the excessive court docket inter alia as a result of the grant of parole additionally can be a ineffective train,” it stated.
In 2018, the self-styled godman was discovered responsible by a particular POCSO court docket in Jodhpur of sexual assault, together with rape, and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his pure life.
