Rajasthan High Court extends Asaram's interim bail till July 1

The Rajasthan High Court at Jodhpur on Monday, 7 April, extended the interim bail of self-styled "godman" Asaram till July 1 in a 2013 rape case.

His interim bail ended on March 31 and he got himself admitted at a private Ayurveda hospital on the night of April 1 after he surrendered in the Jodhpur Central Jail.

Asaram's plea was heard on April 2. 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.

The respondent's advocate P C Solanki objected to the reprieve and argued Asaram had violated the bail conditions by holding sermons for devotees at his Indore ashram.

Solanki submitted video evidence to support his claim, following which the court sought an affidavit from Asaram.

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

The Supreme Court had granted interim bail to Asaram on January 7 on medical grounds till March 31.

Asaram's interim bail was believed to be a major reprieve from any court he moved since his arrest in August 2013 in a case related to Gandhinagar. A sessions court convicted him in January 2023 and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

He was convicted under Sections 376 2 (C) (rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 342 (wrongful detention), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 357 (assault) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

The trial court acquitted six other accused, including Asaram’s wife Laxmiben, their daughter, and four disciples accused of aiding and abetting the crime, for want of evidence.