Gujarat high court has denied a request for temporary bail by self-styled godman Asaram
The team reported that more than three feet of snow covered the location and, according to the shepherds accompanying it, around 2,000 sheep and goats may have been buried. Because of which no team could reach the location, “The weather remained bad for nearly two days after the incident,. We will also try to bring the affected people under a special relief package so that they receive adequate assistance,” he said.
This is the second time in a month that the high court has denied Asaram temporary bail, PTI reported. The administration launched a rescue operation after receiving information about the incident, according to the minister. Negi cautioned that the figure was only a preliminary estimate and the actual number of animals lost would be known only after the snow receded sufficiently for a proper counting exercise, ANI reported. The minister said the government would provide relief to affected shepherds after the assessment and explore the possibility of providing assistance under a special relief package, ANI reported. He added that the immediate priority was to reach the affected area, assess the condition of the animals and provide relief to the shepherds. (With agency inputs) You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Ahmedabad | Silver Rate in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Petrol Price in Ahmedabad | Diesel Price in Ahmedabad | CNG Price in Ahmedabad | LPG Price in Ahmedabad Stay updated with the latest Ahmedabad news.
However, if the petitioner wants to communicate with his wife, then he can make a prayer with the jail superintendent for permitting him communication through video conferencing,” the court said in its order. Speaking to ANI, he said, “I directed the SDM concerned to constitute a rescue team. He said rescuers could currently see only some of the larger animals, particularly those with horns, protruding from the snow, while smaller sheep and goats remained buried and their condition could not yet be ascertained. Once the snow melts or the area becomes accessible, a proper assessment and counting will be possible,” Negi said. The minister said there had been no report of loss of human life in the incident so far. The people accompanying the herds were able to come down to lower elevations, where the snow was comparatively less,” he said. The weather has improved now and the rescue team has reached the spot,” he said. He said another team, including veterinary and other departmental officials, would also be sent to the area to undertake a detailed assessment of the loss. “We will send a second team as well, including veterinary department officials, so that the actual loss can be assessed properly,” Negi said. “Once the assessment is completed, relief will be provided according to the loss. Negi said the incident highlighted the difficulties faced by shepherd communities migrating through high-altitude mountain passes during the seasonal transition. He said shepherds travelling through areas such as Rupin Pass carry essential supplies with them, but sudden changes in weather can make movement extremely difficult. When the snowfall intensified, the animals that could not move ahead were left behind,” he said. The minister said the government would wait for the rescue teams to complete their assessment before determining the exact scale of the damage and the compensation required.
The court noted that reports submitted by doctors and local police, who were directed to verify the cause cited in the application regarding his wife’s illness, showed that she had responded well to treatment. Both doctors expected her to be discharged within two to three days. “We do not find any reason to allow the application of the petitioner who is presently in the Jodhpur jail. The Supreme Court had last month allowed Asaram to approach it if his health conditions worsened, while providing him with a round-the-clock caregiver. The team includes local shepherds, volunteers, Home Guards, police personnel and Revenue Department officials, including Patwaris and Kanungos. “At present, we cannot give an exact figure. “Fortunately, there has been no loss of human life. “When the snowfall started, some people who had not yet crossed the area returned. But for those who had already crossed the pass, coming back was not possible. Download the TOI App.
His plea seeking suspension of his sentences is pending before the apex court. The rescue team reached the top of Rupin Pass on Wednesday and established contact with Negi through a satellite phone.
“Heavy snowfall occurred in the high-altitude areas of Kinnaur on September 27. Because of the sudden snowfall, a large number of sheep and goats are believed to have been buried under the snow,” Negi said. Because of worsening weather conditions, he said some shepherds had turned back when the snowfall intensified, while those who had already crossed the pass were unable to return immediately.
He said the exact number of animals that had died could not yet be established as the area remained covered under several feet of snow. Negi said the weather had improved over the last two days, allowing the rescue team to reach the affected area. At the same time, shepherds were crossing the Rupin Pass with their herds towards their winter pastures.
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Wednesday denied 20-day temporary bail to self-styled godman Asaram to meet his 83-year-old wife, who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Ahmedabad. Asaram was sentenced to life imprisonment in a 2013 rape case by a Gandhinagar court in January 2023. He was convicted in a case registered in 2013 for raping a woman disciple from Surat several times between 2001 and 2006, when she was living at his ashram at Motera near Ahmedabad. Asaram is also serving a life sentence in another case involving the rape of a minor girl at his ashram in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur in 2013. (With agency inputs) SHIMLA: Around 2,000 sheep and goats are feared to have been buried under heavy snowfall in the high-altitude areas of Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district, Revenue, horticulture and tribal development minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Wednesday.
A division bench of Justices Gita Gopi and LS Pirzada denied the temporary bail to Asaram, who is currently lodged in a jail in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur, news agency PTI reported. Negi said a rescue team had reached the Rupin Pass to assess the extent of the loss after heavy snowfall hit the area, where local shepherds traditionally migrate with their herds towards winter pastures, news agency ANI reported.
The court said in its order that Asaram could approach the jail superintendent for permission to communicate with his wife through video-conferencing. He said he was concerned about her health. Asaram had sought temporary bail on humanitarian grounds to meet his critically ill wife, who is admitted to a private hospital in Naroda, Ahmedabad.
His appeal against the conviction is pending before the Gujarat High Court.