The Gujarat High Court has extended the interim medical bail granted by the Supreme Court to self-proclaimed godman and convicted rapist Asaram Bapu for another three months.
Asaram, who is serving a life sentence for a 2013 rape case, was initially granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in January on medical grounds, valid until March 31. The High Court has now extended this relief until June 30.
Justice AS Supehia issued the order following a split verdict by a division bench on Asaram’s plea. The matter was then referred to him for a final decision, leading to the extension of temporary bail.
In his ruling, Justice Supehia stated that considering the overall orders passed, including both the supporting and dissenting opinions, Asaram was entitled to interim bail. He emphasized that an 86-year-old ailing individual seeking medical treatment should not be confined to a particular therapy or medical system.
The High Court pointed out that the Supreme Court had placed no restrictions on Asaram regarding his choice of medical treatment. Additionally, the State did not report any misuse of bail during the previous three-month period. The judge observed that Asaram had remained inactive and was not simply taking advantage of his temporary release.
The Court further noted that the State had not questioned his medical treatment, his condition, or his need for continuous monitoring and dietary supervision. Additionally, there was no argument from the State suggesting he could be sent back to prison without treatment.
In January 2023, a sessions court in Gandhinagar convicted Asaram under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for repeatedly raping a female disciple at his Surat ashram in 2013. His appeal against this conviction is still pending before the Gujarat High Court.
Earlier, in August 2023, the High Court refused to suspend his life sentence, ruling that no exceptional grounds justified his interim release. Asaram then approached the Supreme Court, which granted him temporary bail in January, leading to his request for an extension before the Gujarat High Court.
A division bench comprising Justices Ilesh J Vora and Sandeep N Bhatt delivered a split verdict on the matter. Justice Vora was inclined to grant the extension, while Justice Bhatt dissented. Consequently, the matter was placed before Justice Supehia, who ultimately ruled in favor of extending Asaram’s medical bail until June 30.