Rajasthan High Court Extends Rape Convict Asaram's Interim Bail By Nearly 2 Months

The Rajasthan High Court on Monday extended the interim bail by nearly two months on medical grounds granted to self-styled 'godman' Asaram, who is serving life imprisonment in a rape case. 

The bail period will now run till July 1.

A lower court had sentenced the 83-year-old to life imprisonment in April 2018 for raping a minor at his ashram in 2013.

A division bench comprising Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vineet Kumar allowed Asaram's plea on the same conditions as laid down by the Supreme Court, which included prohibition on any sermon or gathering with his devotees.

Asaram's plea was heard on April 2, in which the respondent's counsel PC Solanki objected to the reprieve and argued he had violated the bail conditions by holding sermons for the devotees at his Indore ashram.

Asaram's lawyer Nishant Bora said the affidavit was submitted in the court on Monday, adding, "The court accepted the affidavit and granted our prayer for extension of interim bail till July 1."

Asaram had surrendered at Jodhpur Central Jail on April 1 around 1.30 pm after the expiry of his interim bail. However, later in the day, at around 11.30 pm, he was admitted to a private hospital, Arogyaam. 

No official statement has been released on the reasons for his hospitalization.

Earlier, he was granted interim bail by the Gujrat High Court on March 28 for three months in another rape case in Surat.
 

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