Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur on Wednesday granted six months’ bail to self-styled godman Asaram, who is serving a life sentence for raping a minor girl, citing medical reasons.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sangita Sharma heard Asaram’s plea seeking suspension of his sentence and temporary release on medical grounds.
The petition, filed earlier this month, stated that Asaram’s health had deteriorated and he required prolonged medical treatment. Senior advocate Devdutt Kamat, appearing from Delhi, represented Asaram, while Additional Advocate General Deepak Chaudhary appeared for the Rajasthan government, and Advocate P.C. Solanki represented the victim.
After hearing arguments from all parties, the court allowed Asaram’s plea and granted him bail for six months. He will remain under judicial conditions and continue medical treatment during this period, subject to further review by the court.
Asaram, who has been in jail for nearly 12 years, was convicted in 2018 for the rape of a minor. This is the second time he has been released on medical grounds — he was earlier granted interim bail on January 7, 2025, and surrendered after the period ended on August 30, 2025.
During that bail period, Asaram had sparked controversy after being seen greeting followers from a hospital window, leading to public debate over alleged preferential treatment.
Before this latest order, a division bench of Justice Dinesh Mehta and Justice Vineet Kumar Mathur had rejected Asaram’s plea to extend his interim bail on August 27, after reviewing medical reports from Ahmedabad Government Hospital that described his condition as stable and not requiring hospitalisation.
The court also observed that Asaram had visited multiple hospitals over the preceding months without maintaining consistent treatment at any single facility.
With IANS inputs