Asaram Bapu, 84, who calls himself a godman, returned to Jodhpur Central Jail on Saturday after his temporary bail was not extended. This was a big change. The Rajasthan High Court’s ruling ends a time of freedom that began on January 7, when he was released on bail for the first time in more than 12 years because of health issues.
On August 27, the High Court panel, which included Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vineet Kumar Mathur, turned down Asaram’s request. The court’s judgment was based on a report from the Government Hospital in Ahmedabad’s medical board, which said that Asaram’s health was stable and that he did not need to be in the hospital any longer.
Asaram’s counsel, Nishant Bodha, said during the court that a recent trip to AIIMS Jodhpur had showed that his condition was getting worse. The High Court, on the other hand, did not agree with this position. They pointed out that Asaram had been to several hospitals in the last few months but had not had regular follow-ups at any one of them.
Asaram has been in prison for life since 2018 for sexually assaulting a young girl at his ashram in 2013. The Gujarat High Court had also recently given him temporary release in another rape case, but it was about to run out, so he had to turn himself in for the Jodhpur case. The court has said that he can have a wheelchair and help from an attendant in prison. It has also said that he can go to AIIMS Jodhpur for an exam if he needs one.