In a significant development, the Rajasthan High Court granted an extension of the interim bail to self-styled godman Asaram until July 1. Asaram, who was facing charges in a rape case, received this extension under the same conditions previously set by the Supreme Court.
Asaram had initially surrendered to the authorities at Jodhpur Central Jail on April 1 following the expiry of his previous bail on March 31. His interim bail extension was discussed in a hearing on April 2 before a division bench comprising Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vineet Kumar.
During the proceedings, the respondent’s counsel, P C Solanki, raised objections, citing that Asaram had violated earlier bail conditions by conducting sermons at his Indore ashram. Solanki supported these claims with video evidence and requested the court to consider these violations.
Despite the objections, Asaram’s counsel, Nishant Bora, presented an affidavit asserting compliance with all bail conditions. After reviewing the affidavit, the court decided to extend the bail with the stipulations that Asaram must not engage in any sermons or gather with his devotees, adhering strictly to the guidelines laid out by the Supreme Court.
This legal reprieve comes shortly after Asaram was granted another three-month interim bail by the Gujarat High Court on March 28 for a separate rape case in Surat. Following his surrender, Asaram was admitted to a private Ayurveda hospital on the night of April 1.
