Asaram Bapu Submits New Petition in Jodhpur High Court, Requests Temporary Bail in Another Rape Incident
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Jaipur, Jan 8 (NationPress) The self-proclaimed spiritual leader Asaram Bapu has on Wednesday put forward a new petition in the Rajasthan High Court, asking for temporary bail in connection with the alleged rape of a teenage girl at his ‘gurukul’ in Jodhpur.
On the previous day, the Supreme Court granted him temporary bail for the first time in 11 years, effective until March 31, due to medical reasons, in a different rape case involving a female follower at his ashram in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
A division bench of the Supreme Court, consisting of Justices M M Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal, granted temporary bail to Asaram, who is currently serving a life sentence in Jodhpur Central Jail.
This marks the first significant relief Asaram has obtained from any court. Nonetheless, he remains incarcerated due to his conviction in another rape case in Jodhpur. To tackle this issue, his attorney has filed a bail petition in the Rajasthan High Court, citing Asaram's declining health.
Attorney R.S. Saluja remarked, "We have submitted a bail request in the Jodhpur High Court to facilitate Asaram's release from incarceration."
Asaram was apprehended by Jodhpur Police from his ashram in Indore on September 2, 2013. After a prolonged trial lasting five years, he was found guilty on April 25, 2018, and sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a minor.
In another case, a woman from Asaram's Gandhinagar ashram accused him of rape. On January 31, 2023, the court also sentenced him to life imprisonment in this case.
Asaram has often highlighted health problems during his imprisonment. He has been granted parole three times over the past five months. However, his current petition aims at securing bail in the Jodhpur case, which continues to pose a significant obstacle to his release.
