Rajasthan HC Directs Reconsideration of Asaram’s Parole Application

The Rajasthan High Court has recently directed the parole committee of Jodhpur Central Jail to review the parole application of self-proclaimed godman Asaram under the parole rules of 1958.

A bench comprising Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Yogendra Kumar Purohit set aside the parole committee’s decision to reject Asaram’s application and instructed them to reconsider it within six weeks.

Asaram, who is currently in Jodhpur jail, was convicted of sexually assaulting a minor girl at his ashram in Rajasthan in 2013.

The District Parole Advisory Committee had previously denied his request for a 20-day parole, citing his ineligibility under the Rajasthan Prisoners Release on Parole Rules of 2021.

Challenging this rejection, Asaram approached the high court. His counsel, Kalu Ram Bhati, argued that the petitioner had been convicted and sentenced by the trial court on April 25, 2018, whereas the Rules of 2021 came into effect on June 30, 2021. Therefore, Bhati contended that the petitioner’s application should be considered under the provisions of the 1958 rules instead of the 2021 rules.