AIIMS report: Asaram Bapu needs caregivers, not hospital; SC defers bail plea
Synopsis
An AIIMS medical board has told the Supreme Court that convicted godman Asaram Bapu does not need hospitalisation — only round-the-clock caregiver support. The finding complicates his medical bail plea, and with the Rajasthan government actively opposing relief, the Thursday hearing could be a pivotal moment in a case that has dragged through courts since his 2018 conviction.
Key Takeaways
AIIMS medical board concluded that Asaram Bapu does not require hospitalisation but needs round-the-clock trained caregivers.
Asaram suffers from coronary artery disease , osteoporosis , chronic hyponatremia , thalassemia , and recurrent gastrointestinal episodes.
The Supreme Court bench of Justices M.M.
Varale deferred the hearing to Thursday .
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta , appearing for Rajasthan , had opposed bail, citing Asaram's reported travel to Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath despite claimed illness.
Asaram was convicted by a Special POCSO Court in Jodhpur on 25 April 2018 and is serving a life sentence; a second life sentence runs concurrently in a Gujarat case.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 4 August took on record a medical report submitted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), concluding that rape convict and self-styled godman Asaram Bapu does not require hospitalisation but needs round-the-clock assistance from trained caregivers. The report was filed in connection with Asaram's plea seeking interim bail on medical grounds.
What the AIIMS Report Found
The AIIMS medical board's assessment confirmed that Asaram suffers from multiple conditions, including coronary artery disease, osteoporosis, chronic hyponatremia, thalassemia, and recurrent gastrointestinal episodes involving blood loss. Despite this, the board concluded that his ailments do not necessitate hospitalisation and can be managed with round-the-clock caregiver support.
A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale examined the report and noted: 'The first part of the report says that hospitalisation is not required. Then it talks about round-the-clock (medical attention). We will keep it (for hearing) the day after.'
Hearing Deferred to Thursday
The matter was adjourned to Thursday after the court was informed that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Rajasthan government, was unavailable. The apex court had previously made clear it would not consider interim bail without an independent medical assessment, which led to the AIIMS board being constituted.
On 21 July, the Justice Sundresh-led bench had directed the AIIMS Director to form a specialised multi-disciplinary team to conduct a thorough medical examination of Asaram and submit findings within a week, determining whether hospitalisation or periodic medication was sufficient.
Background: The Bail Plea and Opposition
Senior advocates Dama Seshadri Naidu and Devadatt Kamat, appearing for Asaram, had sought the AIIMS evaluation to support his bail application. Solicitor General Mehta, representing the Rajasthan government, opposed the plea, questioning the credibility of the medical claims and pointing out that Asaram had reportedly travelled to Ayodhya and the Kashi Vishwanath temple despite asserting serious illness.
On 30 June, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Rajasthan government on Asaram's special leave petition (SLP) challenging the Rajasthan High Court judgment that upheld his conviction and life sentence, but declined interim relief at that stage.
The Conviction and Case History
Asaram was convicted by a Special POCSO Court in Jodhpur on 25 April 2018 and sentenced to life imprisonment for the sexual assault of a minor student at his Manai Ashram in the Chhindwara Gurukul on the night of 15 August 2013. The Rajasthan High Court affirmed this conviction and sentence in its 27 May judgment.
Following the High Court verdict, Asaram — who had been out on interim medical bail — surrendered before Jodhpur Central Jail on 28 May after undergoing a medical examination. He is also serving a separate life sentence in a sexual assault case involving a woman disciple at his Gandhinagar ashram in Gujarat.
The Supreme Court is next scheduled to take up the matter on Thursday, when Solicitor General Mehta is expected to be present to represent the Rajasthan government's position.
Point of View
Not a hospital bed — effectively narrows the medical bail argument without closing it entirely, since round-the-clock care in custody remains a live question. The Rajasthan government's counter-argument, that Asaram travelled to religious sites while claiming grave illness, is the kind of factual contradiction courts weigh heavily in bail matters. What the case also illustrates is a broader pattern: high-profile convicts routinely converting health into a litigation strategy, with independent medical boards increasingly becoming the judiciary's tool of choice to cut through contested claims. The Thursday hearing will test whether the AIIMS report is treated as a ceiling on relief or merely the next step in a prolonged process.
NationPress
4 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the AIIMS report say about Asaram Bapu's health?
The AIIMS medical board found that Asaram Bapu does not require hospitalisation but needs round-the-clock assistance from trained caregivers. He reportedly suffers from coronary artery disease, osteoporosis, chronic hyponatremia, thalassemia, and recurrent gastrointestinal episodes involving blood loss.
Why did the Supreme Court defer the hearing on Asaram's bail plea?
The hearing was adjourned to Thursday because Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represents the Rajasthan government in the case, was unavailable on Tuesday. The court took the AIIMS report on record and indicated it would take up the matter the following day.
What is Asaram Bapu convicted of?
Asaram was convicted by a Special POCSO Court in Jodhpur on 25 April 2018 for the sexual assault of a minor student at his Manai Ashram in Chhindwara on the night of 15 August 2013, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He is also serving a separate life sentence in a sexual assault case in Gujarat.
Why did the Rajasthan government oppose Asaram's bail plea?
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Rajasthan government, questioned the credibility of Asaram's medical claims, pointing out that he had reportedly travelled to Ayodhya and the Kashi Vishwanath temple despite asserting serious illness. The government has consistently opposed interim relief.
What happens next in Asaram's Supreme Court case?
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter on Thursday, when Solicitor General Mehta is expected to be present. The court will consider the AIIMS report in the context of Asaram's plea for interim bail, as well as his special leave petition challenging the Rajasthan High Court's affirmation of his conviction and life sentence.
