New Delhi, 21 July (H.S.): The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition filed by Asaram Bapu challenging the Rajasthan High Court's decision upholding his conviction in a rape case, has directed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to constitute a medical board and submit a report on his health condition. A Bench headed by Justice M.M. Sundresh ordered that the matter be listed for further hearing on July 30.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Rajasthan government, submitted that Asaram was physically fit. He told the court that about three months ago, Asaram had travelled to Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath and had walked throughout the visits without difficulty.

Earlier, on June 30, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Rajasthan government while hearing Asaram's bail plea. The court had declined to suspend his sentence and directed that the medical treatment already being provided to him in jail should continue. It had also observed that it would consider granting bail only if there was a serious threat to his health.

Asaram has been lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan for nearly 11 years, and more than a dozen of his bail applications have been rejected during this period. He was arrested in 2013 on charges of sexually assaulting a minor. An FIR was registered against him on August 20, 2013, in connection with the alleged assault at his Jodhpur ashram. Separately, two sisters from Surat had also accused him of rape at one of his ashrams in 2001.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar