The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu bail in a 2013 sexual assault case on medical grounds. Asaram has been granted bail till March 31.
Hearing the case, the top court granted the plea considering his health condition. Granting the bail, a bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal restricted the godman from meeting followers after release. The apex court has also sought the Gujarat government’s response on suspending his punishment of life imprisonment in a 2013 rape case. Gandhinagar court sentenced him to life in the rape case in 2023. The Gujarat High Court last year rejected his plea seeking suspension of sentence. The apex court has also directed the deployment of security personnel during the bail period.
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A Gujarat court in 2023 sentenced the self-styled godman to life in 2023 for raping a girl multiple times at his ashram in the state. Asaram, currently lodged in Jodhpur jail, is serving sentence for allegedly raping a woman minor disciple at his ashram.
The Supreme Court’s interim bail for Asaram comes within days after he returned to the Jodhpur jail after getting 17-day parole. Asaram was granted parole on December 18 last year, for 17 days, to undergo medical treatment.
