New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh)— The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to grant interim bail on medical grounds to self-styled godman Asaram, who is serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting a minor at his Jodhpur ashram in 2013. A division bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice P.B. Varale kept his interim bail application pending while allowing him to engage a trained caretaker of his choice to provide 24-hour assistance inside prison.
The order was passed after the apex court evaluated a health assessment report submitted by a medical board at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The report indicated that while the 85-year-old convict does not require active hospitalisation, he needs continuous, round-the-clock medical assistance. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Rajasthan government, assured the bench that the AIIMS recommendations would be implemented in “letter and spirit”.
During the hearing, the bench expressed strong disapproval over the non-disclosure of concurrent legal proceedings. Solicitor General Mehta informed the court that Asaram obtained a 20-day regular parole from the Rajasthan High Court without disclosing his pending interim bail plea before the Supreme Court, while also concealing the parole application from the apex bench. Counsel representing Asaram clarified that the parole plea had been filed earlier and was granted based on his age and duration of incarceration, rather than medical grounds. Taking note of the developments, the Supreme Court kept the bail plea pending, granting Asaram liberty to mention the matter again if his medical condition deteriorates.
