The Gujarat High Court on Thursday extended the temporary bail granted to religious leader Asumal Harpalani, also known as Asaram Bapu, till June 15 in a 2013 rape case in which he has been convicted.

The High Court had suspended Asaram’s sentence and granted him temporary bail on medical grounds on November 6. The religious leader then moved an application seeking an extension of the bail.

A division bench of Justices Ilesh J. Vora and R.T. Vachchani said it had taken into account the religious leader’s medical condition and the fact that “no untoward incident has been reported” during the period of his temporary bail.

Advertisement

Asaram’s lawyer contended that his client would need constant medical surveillance, periodic evaluation and immediate access to emergency care. The state government, meanwhile, urged the court not to entertain the application, noting that an appeal was pending before the Rajasthan High Court in another rape case against him.

The Gujarat High Court, while extending Asaram’s bail till June 15, listed the matter for hearing on June 12.

On Wednesday, the Rajasthan High Court also extended Asaram’s interim bail till May 25, or till the judgement on his appeal is delivered, whichever is earlier, Live Law reported.

Advertisement

In April 2018, a Jodhpur sessions court had sentenced the religious leader to life imprisonment for raping a minor at his ashram in 2013.

In January 2023, a Gandhinagar Sessions Court also sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment for raping a 16-year-old girl several times at his ashram between 2001 and 2006.

Before his convictions, Asaram was a religious leader who established his first ashram in the 1970s along the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad and built a multi-crore business empire comprising various products and spiritual literature.