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The Gujarat High Court has granted three months of fresh bail to self-styled godman Asaram on medical grounds. The decision came after a split verdict between two judges—Justice Vora ruled in favor of bail, while Justice Bhatt opposed it and dismissed the application. This led to the matter being placed before a third judge, Justice A S Supehia, who ultimately decided to grant the bail.
Lawyer Argues for Urgent Medical Treatment
Senior advocate Shalin Mehta, representing Asaram, argued that the 86-year-old is suffering from serious heart and kidney ailments. According to Mehta, the only suitable treatment for his condition is Ayurvedic ‘Panchakarma’ therapy.
The treatment, which recently commenced at a facility in Jodhpur, requires at least three more months to complete. Mehta emphasized that the Supreme Court had already granted Asaram interim bail in January and had allowed him to seek further relief from the Gujarat High Court if needed after March 31.
Government Seeks Verification of Medical Need
On the other hand, advocate Hardik Dave, representing the Gujarat government, stated that while the state was not opposed to Asaram receiving medical care, it was necessary for the court to verify if the treatment was genuinely required.
After reviewing the submitted medical documents, Justice Supehia noted that Asaram had not fully recovered yet and had not misused his previous bail. With this in mind, the court decided to grant him three more months of relief.
Previous Bail and Legal History
Asaram was first granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on January 7 in connection with a rape case registered by the Gujarat police. Following that, the Rajasthan High Court also granted him interim bail in a separate rape case in Jodhpur, leading to his release late on January 14. This marked his temporary release after spending more than 11 years behind bars.
In April 2018, Asaram was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a girl at his ashram in Jodhpur in 2013. Additionally, in 2023, a Gujarat court convicted him of raping a woman disciple at his ashram in Ahmedabad’s Motera area.
Now, after receiving temporary relief from the Gujarat High Court, Asaram will have to approach the Rajasthan High Court for bail in the other case. Otherwise, he will have to return to jail in Jodhpur by April 1.
