Asaram Bapu, serving a life sentence in a 2013 rape case, Today (Mar 28) gets 3-month temporary bail from Gujarat High Court. The court allowed bail only for medical treatment after reviewing his health condition after a split verdict earlier in the day.
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Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court gave temporary bail for three months to Asaram Bapu. He is a self-styled godman who was found guilty in a rape case that happened in 2013. In 2023, a sessions court had sentenced him to life imprisonment for the crime.
Asaram Bapu had asked the High Court for temporary bail so that he could get medical treatment. After hearing the matter, the Gujarat High Court allowed him to go on temporary bail for a period of three months.
According to the case, Asaram Bapu was convicted for sexually assaulting a woman disciple in his ashram. He was charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including rape and wrongful confinement.
The court gave the decision after checking all medical reports and documents submitted by Asaram’s lawyers. The bench considered his health condition and allowed him to go out of jail for treatment. The bail is given for three months only and is temporary in nature. He must return to jail after this period ends.
While giving the decision, the Gujarat High Court mentioned that
“temporary bail is granted purely on medical grounds.”
The court further added,
“this order shall not be treated as a precedent.”
Asaram Bapu has been in jail since 2013, after he was arrested in another rape case in Rajasthan. Later, in 2023, the Gandhinagar sessions court convicted him in the Gujarat case and gave him life imprisonment.
His legal team told the court that he needs special treatment which is not available in jail. They said that
“the applicant is suffering from multiple medical ailments.”
They also said,
“the applicant has lost considerable weight and is facing severe health issues.”
The Gujarat High Court accepted the request after verifying medical reports. The court stated clearly that
“the applicant shall not influence any witness or tamper with the evidence.”
It also said that
“the applicant shall not indulge in any unlawful activities during the bail period.”
This bail is only for medical reasons and does not change the original judgment or sentence. The court made it clear that
“this order shall not be construed as a reflection on the merits of the case.”
EARLIER HEARING IN HC
The Gujarat High Court earlier today gave a split verdict on the temporary bail request (interim bail) of self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, who is currently in jail for a life sentence in a rape case that happened in 2013.
The case involves the repeated sexual assault of a woman follower at his ashram in Surat.
The High Court bench included Justice Ilesh J Vora and Justice Sandeep N Bhatt. While hearing the matter, they could not agree on whether to give temporary bail to Asaram.
Justice Vora said,
“We have differed on this aspect. I’m in mood to allow for three months. My brother (Justice Bhatt) is dissenting…so within 10-15 minutes we will sign the order and upload it, accordingly it will be placed before the Chief Justice for referring to third judge.”
Hearing this, the lawyer representing Asaram Bapu told the bench,
“Then I will request the Chief Justice about the same…time is of essence here.”
Earlier, on March 25, the High Court had completed hearing and reserved the verdict on this matter.
Asaram Bapu was found guilty in January 2023 by a sessions court in Gandhinagar under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for raping a woman disciple repeatedly in 2013 at his ashram in Surat.
After this conviction, Asaram filed an appeal in the Gujarat High Court, which is still pending.
In the meantime, he approached the High Court again asking for temporary release from jail (interim bail). But in August 2024, the Gujarat High Court had refused to stop (suspend) his life sentence, saying that Asaram had not given any strong or special reason to justify his release while the appeal is still going on.
Due to this refusal, Asaram then took the matter to the Supreme Court.
In January 2025, the Supreme Court of India granted Asaram temporary bail till March 31 on the basis of medical reasons.
Now, after the split decision in the High Court, the matter will be sent to the Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court, who will assign it to a third judge to break the tie and decide the issue of interim bail.
CASE TITLE:
Ashumal @ Asharam Thaumal Sindhi v. State of Gujarat.
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