Asaram broke down on hearing verdict
HITTING HARD The 79yearold selfstyled godman held his head, took off his red cap, got down on his knees and wept, said lawyers All five, including Asaram, looked worried. When the judgment came, Shilpi broke down. It appeared as if Asaram expected his conviction. RAJENDRA SINGH CHARAN, one of the lawyers for the accused
When judge Madhusudan Sharma announced the quantum of punishment for Asaram and said he will be in jail until death, the 79-year-old self-styled godman held his head, took off his red cap, got down on his knees and wept, said lawyers present in the courtroom inside Jodhpur Central Jail on Wednesday.
“He broke down on hearing the sentence,” said one of the lawyers. He stood flanked by Prakash Dwivedi, Asaram’s cook and personal assistant, and Shiva alias Sawarama Hethwadia, Asaram’s sewadar, the two men who were acquitted of the charges levelled against them by police.
It was at about 9.10am when the cavalcade of 10-12 cars carrying the judge, the prosecution and defense lawyers, policemen, both senior officials as well as rank and file, entered the premises of the Jodhpur Central Jail. Proceedings in the case began a little later, around 9.30am. There were 30 people in the courtroom: the judge, one public prosecutor, five accused, 17 advocates and six court staff.
The judgment in the rape case against Asaram and his four other associated was to be pronounced in the special TADA court inside the jail, right next to the barrack number two, where Asaram was lodged and close to the barrack where Salman Khan spent two days earlier this month after he was found guilty of killing two black bucks in Jodhpur in 1998.
The self-styled godman stood in the witness box along with his associates, 5-7 policemen flanking the accused. He was wearing his signature white robes and red headgear. Before the proceeding started, Asaram was smiling, chatting with other co-accused and also laughed loudly. People present in the courtroom said they don’t know why he did so but once the proceeding started he could be heard intermittently chanting ‘Hari Om’.
At about 10.40am, the court pronounced Asaram guilty. The court also found Shilpi, who has been identified by first name in the charge-sheet, and Sharad Chandra guilty.
“All five including Asaram looked worried. When the judgment came, Shilpi, the warden of Asaram’s ashram in Chhindwara, broke down. It appeared as if Asaram expected his conviction,” said Rajendra Singh Charan, a lawyer.
After the conviction, the court heard arguments over the punishment. “We said Asaram is a gunda, he is a shaitan, and he must be given the most stringent punishment,” said Charan.
“The defense lawyers put forth age and health related issues of Asaram and that he had done great social service in tribal areas. In addition, they said that Asaram had letters of praise from the chief ministers and the President,” he added.
While arguing before the court
AHMEDABAD/JODHPUR:
for minimum sentence, Asaram’s counsel said that Asaram is old, not in the best of health, and has done a lot of social work in tribal areas, said one of the lawyers for the victim.
A number of other arguments were put forth during the hearing on the quantum of punishment but the court of Madhusudan Sharma, which only two hours ago had found Asaram Bapu guilty of raping a minor, sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The court dismissed the contention saying that the letters were given in a different frame of reference, the victim’s lawyer said. Arguments over sentence ended around 12.20 pm and the judge retired to his chamber to dictate the order. It was then Asaram asked for a glass of water and stood in the court with folded hands.
The judge resumed his seat around 2pm and after photocopied were distributed to lawyers of the convicted persons, judge Sharma banished Asaram to a life behind bars until death. Asaram removed the head-gear, scratched his head and started crying, said a lawyer who was present in the court.
After regaining composure, Asaram apparently told a jail security guard that you and he will remain in the jail and they will enjoy.
A lawyer, who was present in the court, quoted Asaram as saying “khayaga, peyanga aur mauj keranga (we will eat, drink and make merry)”.
Dejected Asaram put his hand over the shoulder of Shiva and slowly walked out of the courtroom in Jodhpur jail soon after the proceeding ended. Two other accused Shilpi and Sharad Chandra were sentenced to jail for 20 years.