The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim bail to 86-year-old self-styled godman Asaram Bapu on medical grounds until the end of March 2025. However, the court imposed strict restrictions, barring him from meeting his followers during this period.
A Bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Rajesh Bindal passed the order while addressing Asaram’s plea for a suspension of his sentence. The plea highlighted his deteriorating health, including severe arterial blockages of up to 99%, as revealed in a coronary angiography report dated January 14.
“The petitioner, who is in the twilight of his life, aged more than 85 years, is apprehending that he may die in jail if he is not allowed to take treatment from a hospital/doctor of his choice,” the plea stated. It emphasized that seeking proper medical care is a fundamental right, regardless of a person’s status as a convict or undertrial.
Asaram Bapu is currently serving life imprisonment after being convicted by the Special POCSO Court in Jodhpur for raping a teenage girl in his ashram. In addition, a Gandhinagar Sessions Court in Gujarat sentenced him to life imprisonment in January 2023 in another rape case.
Despite his health concerns, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the State of Gujarat, opposed the bail plea, stressing the gravity of Asaram’s crimes and asserting that adequate medical facilities were available to him within custody.
The Bench clarified that the interim bail was granted solely on humanitarian grounds, without delving into the merits of the convictions. Senior advocate Devadutt Kamat, representing Asaram, argued that the convictions were based solely on the survivor’s testimony, pointing out alleged inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case. However, the court refrained from addressing these claims, focusing only on the health-related submissions.
The court restricted Asaram from Meeting his followers during the bail period and indicated that his medical condition could be reassessed closer to the expiration of the bail term in March.
The case highlights the delicate balance between upholding justice and addressing humanitarian concerns for aged convicts with serious health issues.
