The Supreme Court has refused to suspend the life sentence of Narayan Sai in connection with a 2013 rape case, directing the Gujarat High Court to conclude his pending appeal against conviction within three months.
A bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice PB Varale instructed both the petitioner and the state government to extend full cooperation to ensure the appeal is disposed of within the specified timeframe. The apex court further stated that Sai would have the liberty to approach it again if the High Court does not decide the matter within three months.
Representing Sai, senior advocate N Hariharan told the court that the appeal had not been taken up for hearing despite an application requesting an early disposal.
High Court Order And Delays
The top court’s directive follows a May 4 order by the Gujarat High Court, which had dismissed Sai’s plea for sentence suspension and bail. The High Court had ruled that given the severity of the charges, there were no sufficient grounds to conclude that the applicant had a reasonable chance of acquittal.
The High Court also noted that although Sai had been in prison for 11 years, he had failed to cooperate in the final hearing of his appeal since 2019. It stated that Sai had used various tactics to delay proceedings, including repeatedly filing applications for temporary or permanent bail rather than seeking a speedy resolution of his main appeal.
Background Of The Conviction
In April 2019, a Surat court sentenced Sai to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of raping a former female devotee in 2013. He was convicted under Indian Penal Code provisions governing rape, unnatural offenses, assault, criminal intimidation, and criminal conspiracy.
Three co-accused in the case—Dharmishtha, also known as Ganga; Bhavna, also known as Jamuna; and Pavan, also known as Hanuman—were each sentenced to 10 years in prison. Sai’s father, self-styled godman Asaram, has been convicted in two separate rape cases.
