Jaipur, April 2 (IANS) The Rajasthan High Court (HC) on Wednesday denied an interim bail to Asaram and asked his lawyer to file an affidavit at the next hearing.
Asaram is serving a sentence in a rape case. His petition was heard on Wednesday, where arguments lasted for about half an hour. During the hearing, the government advocate opposed the request for interim bail, citing that Asaram violated the Supreme Court’s condition over preaching. The court has now scheduled the next hearing for April 7.
Asaram’s lawyer, however, denied any violation of conditions. The court also sought details of the medical treatment Asaram received during his previous interim bail and inquired about its necessity in the future.
Following arguments from both sides, the court has asked Asaram to submit a counter-affidavit regarding the alleged violation. After his interim bail period ended, Asaram surrendered at Jodhpur Central Jail on April 1 at 1:30 PM.
He remained in jail for about 10 hours before being shifted to a private hospital (Arogyaam) on Pali Road at 11:30 PM. However, no official reason has been provided for his hospitalisation.
Previously, Asaram was granted three months of interim bail by the Gujarat High Court.
On Tuesday, after the Rajasthan High Court reopened, Asaram’s lawyer, Nishant Bora, requested an urgent hearing on his bail application. The court heard the matter on Wednesday.
Despite securing interim bail in the Gujarat case, Asaram cannot be released unless he is granted relief in both cases. Until then, he will remain under custody, said officials.
Asaram surrendered at Jodhpur Central Jail on Tuesday afternoon after his interim bail ended on March 31.
Rajasthan High Court also sought affidavits from both Asaram and the victim regarding his bail case. The victim’s lawyer strongly opposed an extension of his interim bail, arguing that Asaram had previously violated court conditions and should not be granted further relief.
During the hearing, the court specifically asked Asaram’s lawyer whether he had violated the Supreme Court’s condition by giving sermons. The court directed him to submit an affidavit regarding the allegations. The case was heard by a division bench comprising Justice Dinesh Mehta and Vineet Kumar Mathur.
The Supreme Court had initially granted interim bail to Asaram on January 14, which was subsequently extended by the Jodhpur High Court until March 31. With this period now expired, a fresh petition was filed by Asaram seeking an extension.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat High Court had granted Asaram three months of interim bail in the Surat rape case, but he remains in custody as he has not received similar relief from the Rajasthan High Court.
Asaram has been convicted in two serious sexual assault cases, both resulting in life imprisonment. First is Jodhpur case (2013) in which he was arrested for raping a minor girl, leading to a life sentence. The second is the Gujarat case (Surat) in which he was accused of repeated sexual assault at Gandhinagar Ashram, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2023.
–IANS
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