Asaram surrenders in Jodhpur Central Jail after Rajasthan HC nixes bail extension

Jaipur: Self-styled godman Asaram, who is serving a life sentence in connection with raping a minor, surrendered at Jodhpur Central Jail on Saturday morning.

He reached the jail at around 10 a.m., accompanied by his lawyer and associates.

On Wednesday, the Rajasthan High Court refused to extend his interim bail, observing that his health condition was stable and did not require continuous medical care or hospitalisation.

A division bench of Justice Dinesh Mehta and Justice Vineet Kumar Mathur relied on the medical board’s report from Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, which stated that Asaram’s health was not serious enough to warrant further relief.

The court noted that Asaram had undergone treatment in several hospitals across different cities in the past three to four months, including AIIMS Jodhpur, Ahmedabad, Indore, Jaipur, and Rishikesh. However, he did not maintain regular follow-ups at any one institution.

The bench also rejected the plea of Asaram’s lawyer, Nishant Bora, who had argued that doctors at AIIMS Jodhpur reported a deterioration in his health condition on August 21.

According to the medical board’s report, six doctors had examined Asaram on August 18 and concluded that his condition was stable.

The court further remarked that multiple consultations and hospital visits did not indicate any immediate medical emergency.

Asaram had been granted bail for the first time in 12 years in January 2025. His interim bail lasted about seven and a half months before being cancelled by the High Court.

During his bail period, Asaram met his son Narayan Sai for the first time in 11 years.

Narayan Sai, himself lodged in Surat jail, was granted permission to visit his father at the Pal village Ashram in Jodhpur on June 25.

With his surrender, Asaram returned to serving his life sentence inside Jodhpur Central Jail, closing a brief chapter of freedom after over a decade in custody.

IANS