The Rajasthan High Court on Monday reserved its judgment on an appeal filed by self-styled godman Asaram, who is challenging his 2018 conviction and life imprisonment for the sexual assault of a minor. The conclusion of the marathon hearings marks a significant milestone in the long-running legal battle, following a strict time-bound mandate from the Supreme Court.
A division bench comprising Justice Arun Monga and Justice Yogendra Kumar Purohit concluded the proceedings after hearing final submissions from both the defense and the prosecution. The defense arguments were wrapped up earlier this month, while the victim’s counsel, P.C. Solanki, concluded his rebuttal on Monday.
The High Court adopted an expedited schedule for this case, conducting day-to-day hearings starting from February 16. This pace was mandated by the Supreme Court in December 2025, which directed the High Court to dispose of all pending appeals in the matter within a three-month window. Consequently, the bench had made it clear that routine adjournments would not be permitted to ensure compliance with the apex court’s instructions.
The case dates back to 2013, when Asaram was arrested following allegations of assaulting a minor girl at his ashram in Manai village, near Jodhpur. In April 2018, a Special POCSO Court, presided over by Judge Madhusudan Sharma, found Asaram guilty and sentenced the 85-year-old to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life.
In the same trial, co-accused Shiva and Shilpi were sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment. Two other individuals, Sharad and Prakash, were acquitted of the charges. While some co-accused have secured a suspension of their sentences and are currently out on bail, Asaram remains under conviction, though he has been on temporary medical bail since October 29, 2025.
Parallel to the main appeal, Asaram had moved a separate application seeking an extension of his interim bail on medical grounds. With his current relief nearing expiry, his legal team requested an urgent hearing on April 15.
However, the High Court declined the request for an urgent hearing, stating that the bail application would be addressed according to the regular schedule fixed by the registry.
The legal community and the public now await the final verdict from the division bench, which will determine whether the life sentence handed down by the Jodhpur trial court is upheld or set aside.
