Self-styled godman Asaram Bapu returned to Jodhpur Central Jail on January 1, following a 17-day parole granted for medical reasons.
The parole, which began on December 18, 2024, allowed him 15 days of leave and 2 days for travel. Asaram, who had been receiving treatment in Pune, is serving a life sentence for sexual assault.
Advocate Yaspali Singh Rajpurohit, representing Asaram, confirmed the return, saying, “The High Court had issued an order stating that Asaram had to return to jail before January 2, or it would be considered contempt of court. He was brought back to the Jodhpur jail today itself.”
The Rajasthan High Court had issued explicit instructions requiring Asaram to surrender at the jail by 5 p.m. on January 2. Following these orders, he returned a day earlier to comply with the conditions.
In November 2024, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Gujarat government regarding Asaram’s plea to suspend his life imprisonment sentence. The plea cited severe medical conditions as the basis for interim release. However, the bench clarified that it would only consider medical grounds while deliberating on the case.
Asaram’s conviction stems from a 2013 case where a female disciple accused him of sexual assault at his ashram in Surat, Gujarat. A sessions court in Gandhinagar convicted him in January 2023 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Subsequently, the Gujarat High Court, in August 2024, declined to suspend his life sentence while hearing his appeal.
The incident in question occurred on the night of August 15, 2013, when Asaram allegedly summoned a teenage girl to his ashram near Jodhpur and sexually assaulted her. Following investigations, he was arrested in Indore and brought to Jodhpur for trial.
Despite repeated legal attempts, including moving the Supreme Court, Asaram has failed to secure a suspension of his sentence. His parole marked a temporary reprieve, but the conditions imposed by the court underscore the stringent legal oversight in his case.
The controversial godman, once revered by many, remains a figure of infamy due to his criminal conviction and subsequent legal battles. His return to jail marks another chapter in the ongoing saga surrounding his case.
