Rajasthan HC orders Asaram's 20-day parole, rejects state's Gujarat plea
Synopsis
The Rajasthan High Court has rebuked the state government for sitting on a two-month-old parole order and has now compelled it to release convicted self-styled godman Asaram for 20 days. The court's flat rejection of the state's Gujarat-conviction argument signals that concurrent life sentences in different states cannot be used to nullify a valid parole order — a point with broader legal implications.
Key Takeaways
The Rajasthan High Court on 6 October 2026 directed the state government to release Asaram on 20-day parole , enforcing its own order of 3 August 2026 .
The state had failed to implement the August 3 parole order for over two months, prompting the court's fresh direction.
The bench, comprising Justice Nupur Bhati and Justice Sanjeet Purohit , rejected the state's argument that a Gujarat High Court rejection of parole in a separate case overrode the Rajasthan order.
The court confirmed the state had not challenged the August 3 order before the Supreme Court , leaving it with no legal basis to withhold compliance.
Asaram is serving two life sentences — one from a 2018 POCSO conviction in Jodhpur and a second from a January 2023 conviction in Gandhinagar .
The state government has been directed to submit a compliance report to the High Court.
The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, directed the Rajasthan state government to immediately release self-styled godman Asaram on 20-day parole, enforcing its own earlier order dated 3 August 2026 that the government had failed to implement. The case was heard by a division bench comprising Justice Nupur Bhati and Justice Sanjeet Purohit in Jodhpur.
Background: The Parole Order and Government's Non-Compliance
A petition filed on behalf of Asaram brought to the court's attention that despite the High Court having granted him 20-day parole in its 3 August 2026 order, the state government had not acted upon it. Counsel for Asaram informed the bench that the directive had remained unimplemented for over two months, prompting the court to take up the matter afresh. The division bench, noting this failure, directed the government to comply with the earlier order without further delay and also asked it to submit a compliance report.
State's Argument: Gujarat Conviction and Rejected Parole
Appearing for the state, Additional Advocate General B.L. Bhati submitted that Asaram had been convicted in a separate case by a court in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and that the Gujarat High Court had rejected his parole plea in connection with that matter. The state relied on this as justification for withholding implementation of the Rajasthan order. However, the division bench did not accept this as a valid legal ground, observing that the state had placed no legal basis before the court for setting aside or suspending its 3 August directive.
Court's Clarification on Gujarat Order's Scope
The bench specifically clarified that the Gujarat High Court's rejection of emergency parole in the separate case did not adversely affect or override the Rajasthan High Court's order dated 3 August 2026. The court also asked the state government whether it had challenged the August order before the Supreme Court of India. Additional Advocate General B.L. Bhati confirmed that no such challenge had been filed, leaving the state with no legal cover to continue withholding compliance.
Asaram's Criminal Convictions: A Timeline
In 2018, a Special POCSO court in Jodhpur convicted Asaram of raping and sexually assaulting a minor and sentenced him to life imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life. He has been serving that sentence since then and has periodically been permitted to visit medical facilities for treatment. Subsequently, in January 2023, a Gandhinagar court sentenced him to a second term of life imprisonment in a separate sexual assault case involving two sisters from Surat. It is this second conviction that the Rajasthan state government cited in opposing the parole order.
What Happens Next
With the court's direction now reiterated, the Rajasthan government is bound to release Asaram on 20-day parole and submit a compliance report to the High Court. The state could still approach the Supreme Court to stay the order, though no such move had been filed as of the hearing date. The case underscores ongoing legal questions around the interplay of parole orders across jurisdictions when an individual is serving concurrent life sentences in different states.
Point of View
Without challenging it in a superior court, invites exactly this outcome. The Gujarat-conviction argument was a stretch — parole jurisdictions are generally case-specific, and the bench was right to demand a legal basis rather than an administrative excuse. The deeper question is whether the compliance report will translate into actual release, or whether the state will now rush to the Supreme Court. Either way, the episode highlights a troubling pattern of executive delay in implementing orders that are politically inconvenient.
NationPress
6 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Rajasthan High Court direct Asaram's release on parole?
The court issued the direction on 6 October 2026 because the Rajasthan state government had failed to implement the High Court's own earlier order of 3 August 2026 granting Asaram 20-day parole. Finding no legal basis for the state's non-compliance, the bench reiterated the directive and sought a compliance report.
What was the state government's argument against granting parole?
The Rajasthan government argued that Asaram had been separately convicted by a Gandhinagar court in January 2023 and that the Gujarat High Court had rejected his parole plea in that case. The Rajasthan High Court rejected this argument, clarifying that the Gujarat order did not affect the validity of its own August 3 parole direction.
What are Asaram's criminal convictions?
Asaram was convicted in 2018 by a Special POCSO court in Jodhpur for raping and sexually assaulting a minor and was sentenced to life imprisonment. In January 2023, a Gandhinagar court handed him a second life sentence in a separate sexual assault case involving two sisters from Surat.
Has the state government challenged the parole order in the Supreme Court?
No. The Additional Advocate General confirmed during the hearing on 6 October 2026 that the Rajasthan government had not filed any challenge against the August 3 parole order before the Supreme Court of India.
What happens after the court's direction?
The Rajasthan state government is now bound to release Asaram on 20-day parole and submit a compliance report to the High Court. The state retains the option of approaching the Supreme Court for a stay, though no such move had been taken as of the date of the hearing.
