JAIPUR: Controversial Godman Asaram Bapu, who is serving a life sentence at Jodhpur Central Jail for the alleged rape and sexual abuse of a minor, left for Pune on Tuesday to receive medical treatment. This marks the first time that Asaram has left prison in 11 years.
On August 13, the self-styled godman Asaram Bapu was granted a seven-day parole by the Rajasthan High Court. Asaram, who walked out of jail after 11 years, will undergo ayurveda treatment at the Madhavbaug Hospital in the Khopoli area on the outskirts of Pune, officials said.
His seven-day treatment for his heart-related issues at Madhavbaug Hospital in Pune and his parole will commence from the time of his arrival at the hospital. The self-acclaimed Godman is accompanied by his aide, Shilpi.
The ambulance carrying Asaram entered the airport through a special gate after which he was taken to Mumbai on an IndiGo flight at 2:20 p.m., accompanied by Jodhpur police personnel and two attendants.
The court granted parole to Asaram Bapu under strict conditions. The High Court's order stipulates that the Godman will not be allowed to meet anyone during his treatment. He is accompanied only by a doctor and his aide as per his convenience.
The private room where Asaram will be treated will be under 24-hour police surveillance. A bond of Rs 50,000 was personally secured by Asaram for his parole. He will bear the entire cost of his treatment and travel.
Asaram had filed several petitions for parole. For the first time, on August 13, a division bench of judges Pushpendra Bhati and Munnari Laxman granted him seven days of parole for treatment, based on a medical report from Jodhpur AIIMS. Asaram Bapu has consistently insisted that he will receive only Ayurvedic treatment.
He has been serving life imprisonment in the Jodhpur prison following his conviction under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other offences by a trial court in 2018 for raping a minor girl.
It is worth remembering that Asaram is serving sentences in two cases. He was arrested by Jodhpur Police from an ashram in Indore in 2013 in connection with the rape of a minor. After a lengthy trial, the Godman was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018.
The second case involves his Gandhinagar Ashram in Gujarat, where a woman filed a rape case against him. The Gandhinagar Court sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2023 after hearing the case.