Tainted self-styled guru Asaram Bapu moves Supreme Court, seeks to undergo treatment at Delhi's AIIMS

New Delhi: Self-styled religious figure Asaram Bapu, facing trial in rape cases, on Thursday moved Supreme Court seeking modification of its order directing him to undergo treatment at AIIMS in Jodhpur. A bench of Justices A R Dave, R K Agarwal and A M Khanwilkar agreed to hear the plea on Friday after it was mentioned before it for urgent hearing on the ground that Asaram’s health was deteorating. Counsel for Asaram sought modification of the October 24 order of the apex court saying that AIIMS, Jodhpur does not have in-patient facility and direction be issued to bring him to All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi for further treatment. [caption id=“attachment_3076956” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Self-styled Asaram Bapu. PTI[/caption] The lawyer said that the court had directed Asaram to undergo treatment at AIIMS, Jodhpur or the Ayurvedic hospital there, while being in judicial custody. The bench agreed to hear the matter on Friday. The apex court had on 24 October rejected his interim bail plea sought on health grounds. The apex court’s direction had come after controversial religious figure said he wanted to undergo ayurvedic treatment in Delhi for which he needed a month’s interim bail. A seven-member medical board of AIIMS Delhi had told the apex court that Asaram’s health condition was stable and that he had refused to undergo several tests. On 11 August, the apex court had denied interim bail to Asaram in a rape case and directed AIIMS Delhi to set up the medical board to ascertain his health condition before taking up his regular bail plea. Asaram was arrested by Jodhpur Police on 31 August, 2013 and has been in jail since then. On 9 August, the High Court had rejected his bail application in the rape case. A teenage girl had accused him of sexual assault at his ashram in Manai village near Jodhpur. The girl, who belonged to Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, was a student living in the ashram.