In a major blow to rape accused controversial ‘godman’ Asaram, a medical board of AIIMS, which examined him recently, has said in its report submitted to the Supreme Court that he does not need any surgery.
The AIIMS report, which was submitted to the apex court on Monday, stressed that Asaram is not suffering from any disease of serious nature and his ailments can be taken care of by medicines.
A bench of justices TS Thakur and Adarsh Kumar Goel, referring to the findings of the AIIMS panel, said, “The opinion of half-a-dozen doctors of AIIMS is that at present, any surgical intervention is not required. He can be treated in OPD. Now what remains?”
Senior advocate Salman Khurshid, appearing for Asaram, however, sought some time to go through the report.
The bench then fixed the matter for hearing on January 20 and asked its Registry to supply the copies of the report to the parties, including the accused.
It also asked the counsel for Asaram to ensure that the expenses incurred by the Rajasthan Police in getting him examined at AIIMS are paid as well.
The godman was recently examined by a medical board comprising seven doctors of AIIMS following a Supreme Court direction in connection with his bail application in the Jodhpur rape case.
Asaram was examined and his medical reports were reviewed at the Department of Radiology in AIIMS Trauma Centre. The medical board comprising seven members was headed by Professor of Neurosurgery, Dr. Shashank Sharad Kale. The other members were from departments of Neuro-surgery, Neurology, Endocrinology, Urology, Radiology apart from a Member Secretary who is a member of the administration.
The apex court on October 15 had directed AIIMS Director to set up a medical board to review medical reports and if required clinically examine Asaram to ascertain whether interim bail should be granted to him in Jodhpur rape case.
The SC had earlier fixed December 3 for Asaram’s check up at AIIMS but it was postponed after he refused to travel by surface transport.
Earlier, Asaram had moved a bail application in the apex court and had submitted a medical report by a Jodhpur hospital, which had recommended a surgery stating that he was suffering from trigeminal neuralgia.
Trigeminal neuralgia causes severe pain on the face or the forehead of the patient afflicted with it. The court then sought a fresh medical report from a medical board of AIIMS rejecting the bail application.
There are charges of rape, criminal conspiracy and other offences framed against Asaram by a Jodhpur court in connection with alleged sexual exploitation of a minor girl in his ashram in Jodhpur.
