Asaram Bapu, self-styled godman in Jodhpur jail for raping minor, released on 17-day parole | Watch video

Self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu on Wednesday left for Maharashtra after he was released on 17 days' parole.

He is serving life imprisonment in Jodhpur Central Jail in a sexual assault case.

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In August, Asaram was granted a parole of seven days by the Rajasthan High Court for an ayurvedic medical treatment in Pune.

In February, Asaram was rushed to AIIMS Jodhpur after he experienced severe pain in his chest.

The self-styled godman was arrested in September 2013 from Indore for raping a teenage girl in his ashram in 2013. He was convicted by a special POCSO court in 2018.

A Gujarat court had, in January 2023, convicted him in a decade-old sexual assault case involving a woman disciple and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The victim, a Surat-based woman, had accused him of repeatedly raping her at his ashram in 2013.

In November, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Gujarat government on a plea filed by Asaram seeking the suspension of the life imprisonment sentence imposed on him by a trial court in a rape case.

A Bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Aravind Kumar had sought response from government within three weeks and said that it would only examine if there are medical reasons to allow Asaram's interim release from jail.

The bench had said, "We will issue notice, but we will consider only on medical conditions."

Asaram’s counsel had told the SC that he was suffering from serious medical ailments and sought his interim release from jail.

"He has multiple blockages. Doctors advise, in winter, he should be temperature controlled room or else he will perish," the counsel had said.

In August, while hearing an appeal against the trial court verdict, the Gujarat High Court had declined to suspend his life imprisonment sentence.

Thereafter, Asaram moved the top court seeking release from jail.