Court said the prosecution failed to establish any direct link and evidence against Sanchita Gupta, who was earlier sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Jodhpur, Rajasthan: The Rajasthan High Court Saturday suspended the sentence of a co-accused in the Asaram sexual assault case and granted her bail, her lawyer said.
Justice Vijay Bishnoi granted relief to Sanchita Gupta alias Shilpi, who was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment by a trial court, on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and two surety bonds each of Rs 1 lakh.
“She had challenged her sentence in the high court. The arguments on the appeal had completed Wednesday and the court had reserved the order, said her counsel Mahesh Bora.
The high court observed that the prosecution failed to establish any direct link and evidence that Sanchita Gupta had sent the victim girl and her parents to self-styled godman and main accused Asaram in Jodhpur at Manai-based ashram, the lawyer said citing the court order.
“This sentence will remain suspended until the final disposal of her appeal pending in the high court. She will have to appear in the trial court once in a year, in January, until the disposal of the appeal, Bora said.
The court also observed that neither the girl nor her parents were in contact, whatsoever, with the applicant Shilpi after leaving the gurukul at Chhindwara where the victim girl studied, the lawyer said.
The trial court had sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment and another co-accused Sharad to 20 years. All of them have appealed in the high court.- PTI wire
v d disciples of #ParamPujyaSantShriAsharamjiBapuji r delighted 2 see d judgement. May d country avd d wirld prigress in d right direction/ hariom
Everyone in this case will be proven innocent at last just wait and watch. Asaramji bapu has already informed that 1st shilpi and sharad will come out and then i will come out so its true.
Since the start, this case looks absolute FAKE !
The “so called” victim girl has no single proof but just a baseless statement!
And just because she is below 18 yrs, court gave judgement against Asaram Bapu.
Pathetic!