Rajasthan High Court: In a petition filed by Asaram Bapu seeking bail where he was convicted for the rape of a minor at his ashram, a division bench of Dinesh Mehta and Vinit Kumar Mathur, JJ., granted interim bail till 31-03-2025 solely on humanitarian grounds for medical treatment subject to conditions as set by the Supreme Court.
In the instant matter, the petitioner was convicted in 2018 for raping a 16-year-old girl at his ashram in Jodhpur in 2013 and sentenced to life imprisonment. The petitioner approached the Supreme Court for bail in a separate rape case on 07-01-2025. The Supreme Court granted him interim bail until 31-03-2025 on the ground of need for medical treatment due to his deteriorating health. Following this, the petitioner filed a petition before this court for bail, mirroring the arguments presented to the Supreme Court.
The State, however, opposed the bail and highlighted concerns about public safety and the victim’s family’s security, especially when there have been allegations of witness tampering in the past.
The Court observed that petitioner’s health conditions justified temporary release for medical treatment, consistent with the Supreme Court’s rationale. The Court emphasized that the relief is granted solely on humanitarian grounds and did not imply any view on the merits of the conviction.
Aligning largely with the conditions imposed by the Supreme Court, the Court granted interim bail to the petitioner until 31-03-2025. The Court further imposed an additional condition that if the petitioner travels outside Jodhpur, he must cover the costs of three constables accompanying him.
[Asaram v. State of Rajasthan, Decided on 14-01-2025]
*Source: Press
Granting interim bail on medical grounds to him is a good step, he has been in jail for a long time which itself is a big punishment. Even he gets some treatment, which is also not possible to get a complete treatment upto 31-3-25, but let him get it and after that he has to return to the same place.