The Rajasthan High Court granted interim bail to self-styled godman Asaram on Tuesday, allowing him to remain out of prison until March 31. Asaram is currently serving a life sentence for a 2013 rape case.
This decision follows a similar move by the Supreme Court a week earlier, which granted him bail until March 31 in another rape case, citing his need for medical treatment due to various health issues. Following the Supreme Court’s order, Asaram’s legal team filed a plea for suspension of sentence in the high court.
The plea
A division bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vineet Kumar Mathur granted interim bail to Asaram, noting that the nature of the plea was similar to the one submitted to the Supreme Court.
“We argued that the plea was similar in nature to that filed in the Supreme Court and the grounds stand valid in this case as well,” Asaram’s counsel, Nishant Bora, said.
Bora added that the conditions for Asaram’s interim bail are the same as those set by the Supreme Court on January 7, with one exception. “If Asaram wants to travel outside (Jodhpur), he will have to bear the expenses of the three constables who have been asked to accompany him,” Bora said.
Life sentence
In April 2018, a lower court sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor at his ashram in Jodhpur in 2013.
