SC grants rapist Asaram Bapu interim bail on medical grounds until March 31, 2025

The Supreme Court of India has granted interim bail to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu on medical grounds, allowing his release until March 31, 2025. Asaram, 86, has been serving a life sentence since 2018 for the 2013 rape of a minor at his ashram in Manai village, near Jodhpur. The Court’s decision follows medical reports that highlight his critical health condition, including advanced heart issues and a history of heart attacks. The bail is granted purely on the basis of his medical condition and not in relation to the merits of the criminal charges.

Asaram’s defense, led by Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, presented medical evidence indicating that he suffers from 99% blockage in his heart arteries and has previously experienced heart attacks. Kamat argued that Asaram’s health was rapidly deteriorating, and his chances of survival were slim. The Court’s ruling emphasized that the decision to grant bail was made exclusively on medical grounds, noting the need to provide Asaram with medical treatment outside the jail. However, the Court clarified that it would not assess the merits of his conviction or consider suspending his sentence at this stage.

The Court imposed several strict conditions for Asaram’s release, including a prohibition on meeting large numbers of followers. This condition was implemented due to concerns raised by the Gujarat government, which argued that Asaram’s followers might gather in large crowds, posing security risks. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also highlighted that witnesses in Asaram’s case had been killed, and expressed concerns over the potential for interference in the ongoing proceedings. In response to these concerns, the Court ordered that Asaram be accompanied by three policemen during his release to ensure compliance with the conditions.

Asaram has been incarcerated since his arrest in 2013 for the rape of a teenage girl from Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, at his ashram in Jodhpur. The victim, who had been living at the ashram, alleged that she was assaulted by Asaram. In 2018, a Jodhpur court sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment for this crime under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. In 2023, a Gujarat court also convicted Asaram for a similar crime involving a different minor at his ashram in Surat, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Asaram had filed multiple petitions seeking suspension of his sentence, which have been rejected by various courts, including the Gujarat High Court in 2024.

This decision comes just after Asaram's 17-day parole in December 2024, which allowed him to seek medical treatment outside the jail. His legal team had claimed that his health was worsening and that he was not receiving adequate medical attention in custody. Despite previous refusals to allow Asaram’s release on health grounds, the Supreme Court’s ruling indicates a shift in the approach based on the severity of his condition. The Court also directed the Gujarat government to respond to Asaram’s plea for the suspension of his sentence in the Gujarat case.