New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed self-styled godman Asaram to withdraw his plea challenging the Gujarat High Court’s refusal to grant him temporary bail to visit his ailing wife. The decision came after the court was informed that he is already out on 20-day parole in a separate rape case in Rajasthan.
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran said it would take up Asaram’s appeal against the Rajasthan High Court order upholding his conviction and life sentence after his parole ends and he surrenders.
During the hearing, Asaram’s counsel, senior advocate Siddharth Dave, told the court that his client had suffered a heart attack the previous night and was admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). This information was presented by his counsel during the proceedings.
Why Did The Supreme Court Allow Asaram To Withdraw His Bail Plea?
Asaram had approached the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court refused to grant him temporary bail to visit his wife, who had been undergoing treatment.
The Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, appearing for the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, informed the bench that Asaram had already been granted 20 days of parole by the Rajasthan High Court in the separate Jodhpur rape case. He was subsequently released in compliance with that order.
The bench permitted the plea concerning temporary bail in the Gujarat case to be withdrawn, given that Asaram was already out on parole in the Rajasthan case.
The two proceedings concern separate convictions. His parole in Rajasthan does not amount to bail in the Gujarat case.
When Will The Supreme Court Hear Asaram’s Appeal Against His Conviction?
The Supreme Court said it would hear Asaram’s challenge to the Rajasthan High Court judgment after his parole period ends and he surrenders.
His parole is scheduled to end on October 27. The bench directed the Registry to obtain the trial court records in both digital and physical formats and provide copies to the parties, including the victim.
During the hearing, Justice Pardiwala indicated that the court would examine whether a legal error had occurred that could invalidate the conviction. Dave argued that Asaram could not have been convicted under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code, while the prosecution opposed his challenge.
The court has not set aside the conviction and will examine the appeal at a later stage.
What Are The Two Rape Cases Against Asaram?
Asaram has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in two separate rape cases, one in Rajasthan and the other in Gujarat.
In the Jodhpur case, he was convicted in 2018 for raping a minor at his ashram. The Rajasthan High Court upheld his conviction and life sentence in May 2026, while acquitting him of certain additional charges. His appeal against that judgment is pending before the Supreme Court.
In the Gandhinagar case, a sessions court sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2023 for repeatedly raping a woman disciple at his Ahmedabad-based ashram between 2001 and 2006. His appeal against that conviction is pending before the Gujarat High Court.
The latest Supreme Court proceedings concerned both his challenge to the Rajasthan conviction and his request for temporary bail in the separate Gujarat case.
