The Gujarat High Court on Friday extended the temporary bail of self-styled godman Asaram Bapu until July 7 in connection with a 2013 rape case, for which he is currently serving a life sentence.
A division bench comprising Justices Ilesh Vora and Sandeep Bhatt passed the order while hearing a plea seeking more time to submit required documents. The temporary bail, originally granted on March 28 for three months, was due to expire on June 30.
Asaram, 86, is out on medical bail. His counsel informed the court that he was released only on April 7 due to a procedural delay involving the Jodhpur High Court’s order, which cost around ten days. The lawyer requested a brief extension to place the necessary documents on record before the next hearing, scheduled for July 2.
Taking into account the circumstances and the pending process of obtaining a certificate from the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), the court said it was “inclined to extend the temporary bail till July 7.”
Earlier, on March 28, the High Court had granted three months’ temporary bail to Asaram after a split verdict from a division bench was resolved by a third judge in his favor. The relief was provided as the Supreme Court’s interim bail order was nearing expiry.
Asaram is serving life sentences in two separate rape cases. In January 2023, a Gandhinagar court convicted him for repeatedly raping a woman disciple from Surat between 2001 and 2006 at his Motera ashram in Ahmedabad. He was found guilty under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rape (Section 376(2)(C)), unnatural offences (Section 377), and criminal intimidation (Section 506), among others.
The godman is also serving a life sentence awarded in 2018 by a Rajasthan court for raping a minor girl at his Jodhpur ashram in 2013.
