Former self-styled godman Asaram received partial relief from the Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday after it acquitted him of gang rape and gang penetrative sexual assault charges under the IPC and POCSO Act. However, the court upheld his conviction for the rape of a minor, ensuring that his life imprisonment sentence remains in force.
A division bench comprising Justice Arun Monga and Justice Yogendra Kumar Purohit acquitted Asaram of charges under Section 376(D) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 5(G)/6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court also discharged him of charges under Section 120(B) of the IPC related to criminal conspiracy.
Despite granting relief on some counts, the bench upheld his conviction under Section 376(2)(F) of the IPC, which pertains to the rape of a minor, thereby retaining the life sentence imposed by the trial court.
The High Court directed Asaram to surrender in view of the conviction. He is currently out on temporary bail, which was extended by seven days earlier this week.
The bench also upheld his convictions under several other provisions, including Sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 370(4) (trafficking), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman), and 354(A) (sexual harassment) of the IPC. Convictions under Sections 7 and 8 of the POCSO Act and Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act were also upheld.
Additionally, the court sustained his conviction under Section 376 of the IPC and Section 34 of the POCSO Act.
Meanwhile, the High Court acquitted co-accused Sanchita Gupta alias Shilpi and Sharat Chandra, who had earlier been convicted under provisions related to trafficking and criminal conspiracy.
The bench had reserved its verdict on April 20 after concluding hearings on appeals filed by Asaram and the co-accused.
According to reports, before pronouncing the judgment, the court remarked that it had a “mixed bag” of good and bad news for the accused and asked which part he wished to hear first.
Asaram was convicted by a trial court on April 25, 2018, for sexually assaulting a minor student at his ashram and was sentenced to life imprisonment under various provisions of the IPC, POCSO Act and Juvenile Justice Act.
