Asaram Secures Bail in Sexual Abuse Case, Faces Restrictions on Devotee Interaction

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim bail to self-proclaimed spiritual leader Asaram Bapu in a 2013 rape case. The bail was approved on medical grounds, considering his advanced age and multiple health issues including heart disease. The 86-year-old has been granted bail until March 31 with strict conditions attached to his release.

The court directed that Asaram will be escorted by three policemen and prohibited from tampering with evidence or meeting his followers in groups. This decision pertains to the Gujarat rape case, for which Asaram is serving a life sentence. He remains in custody for a similar case registered in Rajasthan.

In January 2023, a sessions court convicted Asaram in the 2013 rape case, which involved a woman residing at his Gandhinagar ashram at the time. Earlier, the Supreme Court had sought a response from the Gujarat government on Asaram’s petition challenging his life imprisonment sentence, indicating that it would consider the matter based on medical grounds.