Asaram Bapu Granted 7-Day Parole by Jodhpur High Court After 11 Years in Jail

Asaram Bapu, who is serving a life sentence in a rape case, has been granted a 7-day parole by the Jodhpur High Court. The parole was approved by Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati’s court. Asaram has been admitted to Jodhpur AIIMS for the past four days. This is the first time in 11 years that Asaram has been granted parole.

Asaram Applied for Parole for Medical Treatment

Asaram had repeatedly applied for parole to receive medical treatment, but his requests were consistently denied. Previously, Asaram was allowed to receive treatment under police custody at a private Ayurvedic hospital in Jodhpur, where he was treated under the supervision of doctors from Pune. However, as his health deteriorated, he was shifted to Jodhpur AIIMS.

Convictions in Two Cases: Jodhpur and Gandhinagar Court Verdicts

• Jodhpur Court: On April 25, 2018, the special POCSO court in Jodhpur convicted Asaram of raping a minor and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Asaram has been in jail since September 2, 2013.
• Gandhinagar Court: In January 2023, a Gandhinagar court sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment in a separate case for raping a female follower at his ashram in Surat in 2013.
  

Claims of Multiple Health Issues in Jail

Upon his arrest and incarceration in 2013, Asaram claimed to be suffering from trigeminal neuralgia, a rare neurological condition. He had requested the presence of a female doctor for his treatment in jail, which was denied after a medical board found no evidence of the disease.

Asaram further claimed in an affidavit that his health had deteriorated significantly since his imprisonment, attributing it to the stressful environment and police custody. He stated that while he only had two health issues before imprisonment, he now suffers from so many ailments that he cannot even count them on his fingers.

Summary

Asaram Bapu’s parole for medical reasons marks a significant development after 11 years of continuous imprisonment. His health concerns have been a point of contention throughout his incarceration, and this temporary release will allow him to seek further medical treatment.