India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday granted self-styled godman Asaram Bapu 20 days of regular parole, holding that the state government had not provided sufficient reasons to deny his application despite his conduct during earlier interim releases.
The order was passed by a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sanjeet Purohit. The court directed that Asaram be released after furnishing a personal bond of ₹50,000 and two sureties of ₹25,000 each. This is the first time he has been granted regular parole.
The Rajasthan High Court granted life-convict Asaram Bapu 20 days of regular parole, allowing his release on bond after finding prior conduct compliant and state objections unsubstantiated.
Court points to clean record during earlier releases
Asaram, who is serving his sentence in Jodhpur Central Jail, has spent more than 13 years in prison, the High Court noted.
The bench observed that he had been released on interim bail several times in the past and had complied with all conditions. It found no record of him attempting to flee, influencing witnesses or creating any law and order issues while out on interim bail.
Rajasthan government opposed parole
The Rajasthan government urged the court to reject the plea, arguing that Asaram could abscond if he is being released. It also referred to his conviction in Gujarat and other pending criminal cases outside Rajasthan to oppose his parole.
The state further submitted that Asaram is undergoing medical treatment, has not been declared medically fit for parole and that his release could pose a security risk to the survivor’s family.
High Court rejects Rajasthan Govt’s arguments
The High Court, however, said these concerns were based on assumptions and were not backed by any material evidence.
It ruled that Asaram’s application had to be considered under the Rajasthan Prisoners Release on Parole Rules and that pending cases or convictions in other states could not be treated as grounds to deny parole in this instance.
The court had earlier, on May 27, upheld Asaram’s conviction and life sentence in the 2013 rape case involving a minor girl.
Supreme Court hears medical bail plea
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday took up Asaram’s plea seeking interim bail on medical grounds.
During the hearing, the court was informed that an AIIMS medical board had concluded that he does not require hospitalisation but needs round-the-clock medical care.
A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and P B Varale listed the matter for further hearing on August 6.
Why Asaram Bapu is serving a life sentence
Asaram is serving a life sentence after being convicted of raping a minor girl at his ashram near Jodhpur in 2013. According to the prosecution, he sexually assaulted the girl on the pretext of performing a ritual to free her from evil spirits.
He was arrested in September 2013, and in April 2018, a special POCSO court in Jodhpur convicted him and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The Rajasthan High Court upheld the conviction and sentence in May this year.
In a separate case, a court in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment in January 2023 for raping a former woman disciple.
