Self-Styled Godman Asaram Granted 6-Month Bail by Rajasthan High Court Due to Medical Concerns

Jodhpur:

The Rajasthan High Court has granted a six-month bail to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu on medical grounds. Asaram has been serving a life sentence for the rape of a minor.

The 84-year-old spiritual leader had previously received interim bail on three separate occasions.

Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sangeeta Sharma issued the order while considering his petition for sentence suspension and regular bail.

Asaram's representative, Devdutt Kamat, contended that his client suffers from long-term health issues that cannot be properly treated within the prison system. The lawyer argued that bail without custody would enable Asaram to seek appropriate medical treatment.

Additional Advocate General Deepak Choudhary and the survivor's counsel, PC Solanki, presented arguments against granting the bail.

After hearing both sides, the division bench ultimately decided to grant Asaram bail for a six-month period.

Asaram has been imprisoned since April 2018, serving a life sentence. Following nearly 12 years of incarceration, he received his first interim bail on medical grounds on January 7, 2025, which was subsequently extended in July and August.

On August 27, Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vineet Kumar Mathur dismissed Asaram's request for another extension of his interim bail, after which he surrendered himself on August 30.