Minor rape survivor moves Supreme Court to cancel Asaram’s six‑month bail

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The immediate relief granted to self-proclaimed religious leader Asaram Bapu now appears to be in trouble. The rape victim has appealed to the Supreme Court challenging the six-month interim bail granted to Asaram. The victim has filed a petition in the apex court demanding that Asaram's bail be revoked with immediate effect.

It is noteworthy that Asaram is serving a life sentence in Jodhpur jail for the 2013 rape case of a minor. Recently, the Rajasthan High Court and the Gujarat High Court granted him bail for medical treatment, which has now been challenged.

What is the bail issue?

On October 29, the Rajasthan High Court granted 84-year-old Asaram six months' interim bail for treatment, citing his serious medical condition. Based on this order, the Gujarat High Court also granted him relief on November 6.

A bench of Justices Ilesh Vora and RT Vachani of the Gujarat High Court had stated that they were releasing him based on the Rajasthan High Court's decision. The victim has now challenged this decision in her petition.

The Gujarat government also opposed Asaram's bail plea during the hearing. The government's lawyer strongly opposed Asaram's bail plea. The government argued that the treatment Asaram couldn't receive in Jodhpur jail could be easily provided in Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Central Jail. Therefore, there was no need to release him on bail. However, the court granted relief after considering the defense's arguments and his illness.

Serving life imprisonment in two cases

The law is tightly holding Asaram, as he is serving life sentences in two separate rape cases. His first sentence came in the Jodhpur case (2013), where he was found guilty of raping a minor girl at his ashram. The second verdict came in January 2023 in the Gandhinagar case, in which the court convicted him of raping a female disciple from Surat multiple times between 2001 and 2006 at the Motera ashram in Ahmedabad. Now, all eyes are on the Supreme Court's stance, where the victim's petition is being heard; if the Supreme Court cancels his bail, Asaram could be forced back to jail.