Jodhpur, April 21: The judgement in Asaram Bapu Rape Case is set to be pronounced inside Jodhpur Central Jail on April 25. The Jodhpur Police informed that the Rajasthan High Court had made all the necessary arrangements and Section 144 of CRPC will be imposed in Jodhpur till April 30 as thousands of supporters/followers of Asaram would gather at the court premises from all over the country on judgment day. “We appeal to public to follow the order. More than 4 ppl can't assemble in public”, a statement by Jodhpur Police said.

To recall, the Rajasthan High Court earlier this week allowed the state government’s plea that the trial court’s judgment in the rape case against self-styled godman Asaram be pronounced in Jodhpur central jail. This decision was taken to avoid law and order trouble that his followers might create. The judgment will be pronounced on April 25.

What is Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code

  1. Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973 empowers a magistrate to prohibit an assembly of more than four people in an area. Joining unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon.

  2. Whoev­er, being armed with any deadly weapon, or with anything which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, is a member of an unlawful assembly, shall be punished with imprison­ment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

  3. According to sections 141-149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the maximum punishment for engaging in rioting is rigorous imprisonment for 3 years and/or fine.

In 2013, a Surat-based girl filed a case against the self-styled godman, alleging sexual assaults between 1997 and 2006 while she was living in his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city. The godman has faced trial under several sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. It must be noted that Asaram is in jail since August 31, 2013 after being accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl at his ashram in Manai village near Jodhpur.

Reports inform that a division bench comprising Justice R S Jhala and Justice G K Vyas allowed the state’s petition seeking trial court proceedings inside the central jail on verdict day, as police anticipated a large assembly of Asaram’s followers in the city on April 25. According to a report by TOI, the high court directed Special Judge, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities), Jodhpur, to conduct proceedings in jail and also directed the superintendent, Jodhpur Central Jail, police commissionerate and the district administration to make arrangements for the proceedings.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 21, 2018 10:51 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).