Jaipur, Jan 14 (IANS) The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday granted interim bail till March 31 to self-styled godman Asaram, who is serving life imprisonment in a 2013 rape case. This comes a week after the Supreme Court granted him bail till March 31 in another rape case, to avail medical treatment. The petition in the HC filed by Asaram for suspension of sentence and bail was heard on Monday. Asaram's lawyer R.S. ​​Saluja said to the media persons that while hearing the petition the court granted interim bail to Asaram till March 31. He was arrested by Jodhpur police from his ashram in Madhya Pradesh's Indore in 2013. Since then, he has been in jail. After a trial of five years, on April 25, 2018, the court sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment. Now, after 11 years, he will be out of jail on interim bail. The terms and conditions set by the court include that Asaram cannot meet his followers and will not try to tamper with the evidence in the case. Three guards will accompany him, whose expenses will have to be borne by Asaram.

Earlier on January 7, the Supreme Court had granted medical bail to Asaram till March 31, 2025, in the case of the rape of a female follower in the Surat ashram. While giving the verdict on the bail, the Supreme Court had said that Asaram could not meet his followers. The court had clarified that the relief was granted solely on humanitarian grounds and directed compliance with conditions imposed during the bail period. Asaram did not get relief in the Jodhpur rape case. After this, his lawyer filed a petition in the High Court which gave him relief.

The self-styled godman has been held guilty in two cases in Jodhpur Court and Gandhinagar Court. He was arrested by Jodhpur Police from the Indore ashram on September 2, 2013. A woman from the ashram in Gandhinagar, Gujarat had filed a rape case against him. On January 31, 2023, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment in this case.

/IANS