Gujarat High Court Issues Notice On Asaram Bapu’s Plea For Extension Of Temporary Bail In Rape Case
The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday (June 24) issued notice on a plea seeking extension of temporary bail moved by Asaram Bapu who has been convicted in a 2013 rape case by a sessions court in Gandhinagar and is serving a life sentence.
The Supreme Court had in January this year granted him interim bail till March 31 on medical grounds. Subsequently, Asaram moved the high court seeking extension of temporary bail. On March 28, a division bench of the high court delivered a split verdict; thereafter a third judge who heard Asaram’s plea granted him three months temporary bail.
Asaram Bapu has now moved the high court seeking further extension of temporary bail.
During the hearing today senior advocate Shalin Mehta appearing for Asaram Bapu submitted before a division bench of Justice Ilesh J Vora and Justice PM Raval, “We are also trying to get certificate from National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) which certifies that whether I’m an old and a terminally ill prisoner. So that certificate is awaited. We will get that in two days”. Asaram’s bail is set to expire on June 30.
The bench thereafter in its order dictated, “Issue Notice. Registry is directed to show name of advocate Ekant Ahuja and senior counsel BB Naik for and on behalf of Respondent Complainant“.
The matter is next listed on June 27.
Notably, Asaram had earlier moved the high court in March seeking temporary bail for six months where his counsel had argued that the doctors were of the opinion that Asaram Bapu requires Panchkarma therapy–a 90-day course.
Recently, the Gujarat High Court granted his son Narayan Sai–convicted and sentenced to life in another rape case– five days temporary bail to meet Asaram on ‘humanitarian grounds’, after considering Asaram’s medical condition and the fact that the father and son had not been able to meet personally.
On January 31, 2023, a sessions Court found Asaram Bapu guilty of raping his female disciple multiple times at his Ahemdabad-based Ashram and convicted and sentenced him to life imprisonment. He was convicted under IPC Sections 376(rape), 377(unnatural offences), Sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 357(Assault or criminal force in an attempt wrongfully to confine a person) and 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty).
Case title: ASHUMAL @ ASHARAM THAUMAL SINDHI (HARPALANI) versus STATE OF GUJARAT & ANR.
CR.MA/2/2025 IN CR.MA/1/2025 IN R/CR.A/607/2023
