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The All India Institute for Medical Sciences informed the Supreme Court that jailed religious leader Asumal Harpalani, also known as Asaram Bapu, does not need to be hospitalised for treatment of his illnesses, Live Law reported.
However, the institute said that the 85-year-old convict needs round-the-clock assistance by trained caregivers.
The matter will be heard further on Thursday.
The report was filed after the court on July 17 asked the Rajasthan government to examine Asaram’s health reports to determine whether his condition warrants his release on interim bail on medical grounds. The directive had come after the religious leader’s counsel informed the court that he had developed “acute internal bleeding”.
On June 30, the Supreme Court rejected Asaram’s bail plea, saying that it would consider granting it only if there was a grave medical necessity, “such as danger to life”.
The court was hearing the religious leader’s plea challenging the Rajasthan High Court’s decision to uphold his conviction for raping a minor in 2013. He has also sought interim bail while his appeal remains pending.
In April 2018, a sessions court in Jodhpur sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment for raping the minor at his ashram in 2013. He had been convicted under several provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Juvenile Justice Act.
In May this year, the High Court acquitted Asaram on charges related to gangrape. However, it upheld his conviction for rape.
While rejecting Asaram’s petition to set aside the life sentence, the High Court bench had held that the charges of rape under the Indian Penal Code, sexual assault under the Pocso Act and offences under the Juvenile Justice Act had been proved.
In January 2023, a sessions court in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar also sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment in a separate case about raping a 16-year-old girl several times at his ashram between 2001 and 2006.
High Court grants 20-day parole
The Rajasthan High Court on Monday approved Asaram’s request for a 20-day parole on account of his age and for having spent over 13 years in jail, The Indian Express reported.
The bench criticised a committee headed by the Jodhpur district collector for rejecting the parole request, the newspaper reported.
The counsel for the state government had placed before the court the minutes of the meeting held by the district collector on Friday. It showed that the panel had rejected the parole request based on concerns expressed by the police that Asaram “may abscond”, Dainik Bhaskar reported.
The minutes also showed the committee as having held Asaram ineligible for parole as per the prison rules as a case was pending against him outside Rajasthan and that he had been convicted by a court in another state.
The panel also said that Asaram was undergoing treatment and that the medical officer had not issued a certificate deeming hi fit for parole. It also pointed to apprehensions “of serious danger to the family of the complainant” if Asaram is out of prison, The Indian Express reported.
However, the High Court said that the arguments were “misleading and figment of the imagination, without any basis” as Asaram had not violated his bail conditions when he had been released earlier.
Edited by Sara Varghese.
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