The Gujarat High Court has extended the temporary bail of self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu by three months in a rape case, citing medical reasons. The 86-year-old, serving a life sentence in Jodhpur Central Jail, has been granted relief to undergo treatment for heart ailments and other age-related health issues.
Previously, the Supreme Court had granted Asaram interim bail till March 31, 2025, on medical grounds. With the High Court’s latest decision, his temporary release has been extended further.
The apex court’s order in January also imposed restrictions, prohibiting him from meeting his followers during his release.
Asaram’s legal team had approached the Supreme Court after the High Court rejected his bail plea in August 2024, citing the gravity of the crime. The Supreme Court, however, considered his medical condition and approved the interim bail.
In 2023, a Gandhinagar court convicted Asaram of raping a woman who resided at his ashram in Gujarat, sentencing him to life imprisonment. He is also serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting a minor in 2013 at his Jodhpur ashram.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision to grant interim bail in January, security measures around the rape survivor’s family were significantly heightened.
In the past, Asaram was granted a seven-day parole in 2018, which was subsequently extended by five days. Additionally, he received a 17-day parole in December 2024 before securing interim bail in January 2025.
Arrested in 2013 after a minor girl from Shahjahanpur accused him of sexual assault at his Jodhpur ashram, Asaram was convicted in 2018 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sentenced to life imprisonment.
His conviction in Gujarat in 2023 resulted in another life term.
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