Jaipur, Oct 27 (IANS) The Supreme Court has rejected Asaram’s plea seeking an extension of his medical parole, directing him to surrender upon the expiry of the existing period. He must surrender by 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
Asaram is serving a life sentence in a 2013 rape case involving a minor in Rajasthan. He was convicted by a POCSO court in Jodhpur and sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a teen girl in his ashram. He is serving a life sentence in Central Jail, Jodhpur.
The Rajasthan High Court had granted him 20 days of parole on October 6, which now expires.
His counsel approached the Supreme Court, seeking an extension on medical grounds. According to the plea, Asaram is undergoing treatment at the Government Dhanwantari Ayurvedic Hospital in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
His counsel argued that his treatment was continuing and requested additional time on medical grounds.
The Supreme Court declined to extend the parole period. However, it directed the Rajasthan government to ensure that Asaram’s medical needs were adequately addressed.
The Supreme Court rejected Asaram’s plea seeking an extension of his medical parole, directing him to surrender by 5 p.m. on Tuesday as his parole has already expired.
Significantly, the Supreme Court will hear his appeal against conviction on November 6 after parole ends on October 27.
The Supreme Court has directed its Registry to summon the trial court records, in both physical and digital form, in the appeal filed by Asaram against his conviction for sexually assaulting the minor devotee in Jodhpur in 2013. The Court listed the matter for further hearing on November 6 at 2 p.m.
Earlier, the Gujarat High Court had rejected an interim bail plea of the self-styled godman, who had sought 20 days of temporary release on humanitarian grounds to meet his 83-year-old wife, who is undergoing treatment at a hospital. However, the court allowed him to seek permission to speak to her through video conferencing.
Asaram was convicted by a trial court in Gujarat for raping a woman disciple on several occasions at his Surat ashram in 2013.
–IANS
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