Rajasthan HC grants six-month bail to rape convict Asaram on medical grounds

Jaipur, Oct 29 (IANS) The Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur on Wednesday granted six months’ bail to self-styled godman Asaram, who is serving a life sentence for the rape of a minor.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sangita Sharma heard Asaram’s plea for suspension of sentence and bail on medical grounds.

The petition was filed earlier this month, citing his deteriorating health. Senior advocate Devdutt Kamat, appearing from Delhi, represented Asaram, while Additional Advocate General Deepak Chaudhary argued for the Rajasthan government. Advocate P.C. Solanki represented the victim. After hearing all sides, the bench granted him bail for six months.

Following the High Court’s latest order, Asaram will remain out of jail for six months. He is expected to continue medical treatment under judicial conditions until further review by the court.

Asaram, convicted of raping a minor girl in 2018, has been in jail for nearly 12 years.

He was granted interim bail for the first time on January 7, 2025, also on medical grounds. He surrendered on August 30, 2025, after the expiry of that interim bail period.

During his medical treatment, he was seen greeting devotees from a hospital window, an incident that sparked renewed debate over his privileges while under custody.

Earlier, on August 27, a division bench of Justice Dinesh Mehta and Justice Vineet Kumar Mathur had rejected Asaram’s plea to extend his interim bail.

The court relied on the medical report from Ahmedabad Government Hospital, which concluded that, “Asaram’s health condition is stable and he does not require hospitalisation or continuous medical care.”

The bench also noted that Asaram had travelled to multiple hospitals over the preceding months but had not maintained regular follow-up treatment at any single facility.

--IANS

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