Outside court, ex-cj touches feet of rape-accused Asaram
JODHPUR: A man in cyan-blue jacket bent to touch the feet of Asaram outside a court in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur Saturday.
Asaram later told reporters in the court the man was Surendra Nath Bhargava, former chief justice of Sikkim high court.
The self-styled spiritual leader has been in the Jodhpur central jail since August 31, 2013, after he was arrested for raping a teenage girl in Manai village.
On Saturday, as Asaram was getting inside the court of metropolitan magistrate number 3, which is hearing a case under the Information Technology Act, Bhargava walked towards him and touched his feet.
The I-T Act case pertains to a caricature of a judge hearing the sexual assault case which was allegedly made by a follower of Asaram and widely circulated.
“Despite being in a high position, Bhargava came for my ‘darshan’,” Asaram boasted before the reporters inside the court.
Asked about his presence in the city, Bhargava said he came to Jodhpur to attend a private function. “I happened to be here. Socha chalo bapu aaye hain to darshan kar lein,” he said.
He said he has known Asaram since 1983-84. “After I became a judge, bapu ke darshan durlabh ho gaye,” he said, adding that the judiciary will deliver justice in rape cases against Asaram. “Nyaypalika jo karegi wo nyay hoga (whatever decision the judiciary takes will be justice).”
THE SELFSTYLED SPIRITUAL LEADER HAS BEEN IN THE JODHPUR CENTRAL JAIL SINCE AUGUST 31, 2013