The Bench, comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Aravind Kumar, clarified that it would only consider medical grounds for his interim release.
NEW DELHI: On Friday(22nd Nov), the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Gujarat government regarding self-styled godman Asaram Bapu’s petition seeking suspension of his life imprisonment sentence in a rape case.
The Bench, comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Aravind Kumar, clarified that it would only consider medical grounds for his interim release.
“We will issue notice, but will consider only medical conditions. (It is a) POCSO case,”
the Bench stated.
Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing Asaram, argued that Asaram suffers from serious medical issues that require his release.
“He has multiple blockages. Doctors recommend he stay in a temperature-controlled environment during winter; otherwise, his health will deteriorate,”
Naidu explained.
The Court reminded Asaram’s counsel that he previously refused treatment, insisting on his choice of hospital.
“I could not opt for bypass surgery or allopathic treatment, hence I requested Ayurveda,”
the counsel replied.
The Court issued a notice returnable within three weeks.
BRIEF FACTS
Asaram was convicted in January 2023 by a sessions court in Gandhinagar under various IPC provisions for repeatedly raping a female disciple at his Surat Ashram in 2013. His appeal against the conviction is pending in the Gujarat High Court.
In August, the High Court rejected Asaram’s plea for interim release, citing no exceptional grounds for suspending his sentence while the appeal remains unresolved. Consequently, Asaram approached the Supreme Court.
Filed through advocates Rajesh Inamdar and Shashwat Anand, Asaram’s petition claims his conviction is based solely on the complainant’s uncorroborated testimony and lacks medical or independent evidence. He alleges being falsely implicated to damage his reputation and remove him from his Ashram.
Case Title: Ashumal @ Asaram vs State of Gujarat
