Gujarat High Court Suspends Asaram’s Sentence for Six Months on Medical Grounds

Overview

• Justices Ilesh J Vora and R T Vachhani orally granted a six-month suspension of sentence in the 2013 Gandhinagar rape case, with a detailed order awaited.
• The relief is limited to treatment and carries conditions that bar gatherings or sermons, require police supervision, and mandate reporting to local authorities.
• The court said it was acting on the same lines as the Rajasthan High Court’s October 29 order that granted parallel six-month relief citing inadequate jail medical facilities.
• State counsel opposed broader release and suggested shifting Asaram to Sabarmati Central Jail if the necessary treatment cannot be provided in Jodhpur jail.
• The survivor’s lawyer contested the medical basis for bail, saying certificates do not show a critical condition, and Asaram remains a life convict in separate 2013 rape cases.