Poonam Chand Solanki is an Indian lawyer practicing before the Rajasthan High Court, Jodhpur. He acted as the lawyer for the 16-year-old girl raped by self-proclaimed godman Asaram and won the conviction of Asaram Bapu in the Jodhpur trial court on April 25, 2018; Asaram Bapu (Asaram Bapu) was convicted under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO).
Wiki/Biography
Poonam Chand Solanki, also known as PC Solanki, was born in 1973 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India (50 years old; as of 2023). He received his education at a central school (now known as KV 1st Air Force School, Jodhpur). He studied Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Laws at Jai Narayan Vyas University (JNVU), Jodhpur. After graduating in law, Poonam Chand joined the Rajasthan Bar Council in 1996. Although Poonam Chand Solanki came from a financially challenged family, his parents ensured that all their children received a good education.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′8″
Hair color: salt and pepper (dyed black)
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Poonam Chand Solanki’s father Kheraj Ram Solanki is a former railway mechanic. His mother’s name is Aichuki Devi. He has three sisters.
Poonam Chand Solanki and his mother
wife and children
Poonam Chand Solanki is married and has a son.
religion
He believes in Hinduism.
caste
He comes from a Darzi (tailor) family.
Profession
Poonam Chand Solanki joined the Rajasthan Bar Council in 1996 and started practicing in the courts of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. After handling several ordinary cases, the first big moment in his life came in 2002 when he filed a PIL in the Rajasthan High Court against immersion in Gulab Sagar Nearby is the statue of Lord Ganesha made of plaster of paris. Historic Ghantagarh. In the petition, he argued that immersing the idols polluted the water, leading to the death of thousands of fish in Gulab Sagar. After hearing the petition, the Rajasthan High Court ordered a ban on immersing the idols in the lake. In this matter, Poonam Chand was repeatedly threatened by the Shiv Sena and other Hindu groups. Solanki has a two-decade-long advocacy career and has fought numerous cases in different courts including trial courts, session courts, high courts and the Supreme Court.
Asaram Bapu rape case
On November 29, 2013, the Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur registered a case of rape of a minor girl in Chindwara, Madhya Pradesh, by Asaram Bapu. Apparently, the parents of the minor girl had deep faith in the self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu. Apparently, one of Asaram’s disciples told the girl’s parents that she was possessed by an evil spirit and that to exorcise her, they should go to Asaram. He raped the minor girl when her parents took her to Asaram for treatment. Not satisfied with the initial progress of the case, the girl’s parents contacted Poonam Chand Solanki in January 2014 to handle the case. Talking about the same issue in an interview, Solanki said,
They asked me to take the case but said they didn’t have the money to pay me. It doesn’t matter to me at all. After listening to their statements, I was determined to get justice. Litigation is my bread and butter, but at some point in life a cause becomes more important than a need. I fight this lawsuit for justice and truth. “
As the case progressed, Solanki was lured with crores of rupees. However, he remained unaffected. He even received multiple death threats. However, nothing could shake his determination to seek justice for the underage girl. As many as nine key prosecution witnesses were attacked, three shot dead and one missing after being stabbed outside the court. Everyone who spoke out against Asaram – victims, investigating police officers, prosecuting lawyers or judges – was threatened. In a media conversation, Poonam Chand said about being immune to Asaram’s threat,
Yes, the threat exists. They wanted to seduce me. It was all there, but nothing affected me because I was just focused on it… Those guys used to come, a couple of them used to talk, used to do. Now, what might someone say? But actually, I don’t care about any of this. I’m just concerned about it, just to do what the law says. “
As the sole prosecution lawyer, he fought against several high-profile lawyers defending Asaram Bapu. Legal stalwarts defending Asaram include Ram Jethmalani, Salman Khurshid, Subramanian Swamy ) and KTS Tulsi. Talking about the same issue in an interview, Solanki said,
Yes, of course, Ram Jethmalani ji appeared before the Hon’ble High Court to argue Asaram’s bail application under Section 4(39) of the CrPC and Subramaniam Swamy appeared before the trial court under Section 4(39) to argue his bail The application was argued and then KTS Tulsi appeared before the court at trial challenging the amendment of the Special PP on the ground that his name was not published in the Gazette…”
During the course of the case, when Solanki pointed out Section 27 of the POCSO Act to Jethmalani, Jethmalani withdrew from the case. Apparently, Jethmalani objected to the medical examination of the rape victim even before the FIR was registered. However, Solanki was speechless when he argued that Jethmalani had not passed the POCSO bill or ignored Section 27. After Jethmalani withdrew from the case, Subramanian Swamy took over the case; even though Swamy was not a lawyer, the Supreme Court and the High Court allowed him to argue the case in court. When Swami boasted about having discovered many scams and led many governments, Solanki cited the HS Rastogi case to stop him. Solanki argued before the court that Asaram did not provide any prior information to the court that Swamy would file a bail application as per the Supreme Court’s ruling in the HS Rastogi case. Furthermore, he said,
What if the court rejects the bail application and Asaram claims the next day that he did not authorize Swami to defend his bail application? “
Soon, Asaram was taken out of jail and submitted an application to the court. Much to Swamy’s dismay, Asaram’s bail plea was rejected by the court. Swamy, who had earlier boasted that he had never lost a bail petition in his life, abruptly left the case and never returned to the case despite his assurance to Asaram that he would be back. During a hearing in the case, Solanki called the bluff of former union minister Salman Khurshid, who sought bail for Asaram citing serious illness. However, Solanki persuaded the court to set up a medical board to ascertain Asaram’s health condition. The committee exposed Asaram’s lies and his bail application was rejected by the court. The final verdict in the case was delivered on April 25, 2018, in favor of the minor girl, pleading with Asaram and his two associates, Gurukul Jail Superintendent Shilpi and Gurukul Jail Superintendent Shilpi Supervisor Sharad is guilty in this case.
Facts/Trivia
- In his spare time, Poonam Chand enjoys writing books. He wrote various legal books. He is also passionate about teaching.
- Solanki owns a 2004 Alto car.
- Solanki considers former Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Bhagwati Prasad Sharma as his mentor.
- Poonam Chand said in an interview that the family of the minor girl, the victim of the Asaram Bapu rape case, approached him after several lawyers demanded hefty fees to take up their case and when Solanki came to know about the family financial situation, he agreed to fight for free. He said,
I didn’t charge a penny in legal fees. As far as the expense part is concerned, this is for me… I went to Delhi eight times. So whatever the allegations are regarding this, I will provide them with the details. I had to go to the Supreme Court at short notice. In the High Court, it is necessary to obtain certified copies regardless of the fee charged by the clerk, and in the trial courts, there are also many certified copies, almost 7000-8000 copies. All this money is there. Other than that, in terms of fees, I didn’t get a penny. “
- On May 23, 2023, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, a courtroom drama Hindi film based on the Asaram Bapu rape case, was released on Zee5. Manoj Bajpayee plays Poonam Chand Solanki in the film. The film is directed by Apoorv Singh Karki and written by Deepak Kingrani. In an interview, Manoj Bajpayee while talking about playing the role of Poonam Chand Solanki in the movie Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai said:
Playing the role of PC Solanki in Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai was an incredible experience as it tells the inspiring story of a common man fighting an extraordinary case against all odds for truth and justice. With the trailer released today, I hope it will captivate viewers and compel them to witness this triumphant story and what PC Solanki has done to achieve what he has achieved. “
Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai stills, Manoj Bajpayee plays Poonam Chand Solanki
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education