The Gujarat High Court on Thursday granted six months’ interim bail to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu on medical grounds in connection with a 2013 rape case registered in Gandhinagar, while making it clear that his convictions and life sentences in the cases against him remain intact.
A division bench of Justices Ilesh J Vora and R T Vachhani observed that the relief was strictly limited to medical treatment. The court noted that the Rajasthan High Court had earlier suspended Asaram’s sentence in a separate Jodhpur case on similar medical grounds.
Asaram Bapu, serving life imprisonment in two separate rape cases, was convicted by a Jodhpur court in April 2018 for raping a minor at his ashram in 2013, and later by a Gujarat court in 2023 for sexually assaulting another woman devotee in 2013. He has also faced charges of conspiracy and witness intimidation, with courts upholding both convictions.
Senior advocate Devadutt Kamat, appearing for Asaram, told the court that the 83-year-old convict suffers from several serious ailments, including heart disease, hypertension, hypothyroidism, anaemia, and gastrointestinal complications, requiring specialised treatment unavailable in prison facilities. He had been taken to Delhi in September for advanced medical care.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court granted Asaram interim bail from January to March 2024, later extended by the Gujarat High Court, considering his medical reports. The Rajasthan High Court too had previously noted his deteriorating health condition.
During Thursday’s hearing, senior advocate B B Naik, representing the rape survivor, opposed the bail plea, arguing that the medical certificates did not show any life-threatening condition. “Last time I said that he wants to tour India… Today, he is seeking treatment… There is no need to grant temporary bail,” he submitted.
The Gujarat government suggested that, if required facilities were unavailable in the current prison, Asaram could be shifted to a jail within the state for treatment.
Granting limited relief, the court imposed several restrictions, directing that Asaram must not hold public gatherings, deliver sermons, or participate in any religious activity. He will remain under police supervision, report regularly to local authorities, and strictly follow the prescribed medical regimen.
