The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim bail on medical grounds to self-styled godman and rape convict Asaram Bapu..A Bench of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Rajesh Bindal granted Asaram interim bail until March 31, 2025.The order was passed disposing of Asaram's plea for the suspension of his jail sentence. The interim medical bail granted today was given solely on humanitarian grounds so that Asaram may undergo medical treatment. The Court further directed Asaram to comply with certain bail conditions and also ordered a reassessment of his medical status closer to end of the interim bail period's expiry. .Senior Advocates Devadatt Kamat and Dama Sheshadri Naidu and Advocate Rajesh Gulab Inamdar represented Asaram Bapu. They had argued that Asaram's conviction was based solely on the prosecutrix's testimony without corroborating evidence. They contended that there were inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case. However, the Court chose not to examine the merits of the matter, focusing solely on Asaram's health issues. His counsel had cited Asaram’s old age, history of heart attacks, and severe comorbidities while urging the Court to grant bail for urgent medical care. .The plea was opposed by the government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who highlighted the seriousness of the case. Mehta also asserted that adequate medical facilities were available in custody to cater to Asaram's medical needs. .In January 2023, a sessions court in Gandhinagar convicted Asaram Bapu under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in a 2013 rape case, for the repeated rape of a female disciple at a Surat Ashram.An appeal against this trial court verdict is pending before the Gujarat High Court. In the meanwhile, Asaram moved a plea before the High Court seeking his interim release from jail. In August this year, the Gujarat High Court refused to accede to this plea to suspend his life imprisonment sentence. The High Court reasoned that there was no exceptional ground made out to allow Asaram's interim release from jail while his appeal against conviction remains pending.This led Asaram to file an appeal before the apex court.
