Rajasthan High Court turns down Asaram’s plea seeking parole

Jailed Godman Asaram Bapu’s hopes of coming out of the prison have suffered another setback. The Rajasthan High Court, on Wednesday, turned down a plea on his behalf seeking parole. The court also dismissed the petition which was filed by his nephew.

The beleaguered godman was convicted of raping a minor girl at his ashram. The girl was reportedly sent by her parents for tutelage under Asaram Bapu when she was allegedly raped and later coerced into not disclosing the ordeal. A Jodhpur court had sentenced him for life without the option of an early release.

The division bench of the Jodhpur High Court comprising of Justice Sangeet Raj Lodha and Justice Dinesh Mehta heard the plea filed by one Ramesh Bhai seeking parole for the ageing Bapu by appearing on his behalf. In the past, Ramesh Bhai had presented parole application for Asaram before the District Parole Committee. He has argued in favour of parole claiming Asaram has spent more than five years in Jodhpur jail, but the District Parole Committee has rejected the application. Petitioner claimed that Asaram was entitled to parole and that’s why he has moved the High Court to consider his case. 

It was argued in the response to the plea by the government that in the case of Asaram, the convict has been punished with life imprisonment till death by the court and he is not entitled to parole.

It was also said in the reply that the DG (Prisons) has sought legal opinion from the state government regarding the parole of Asaram, in which the parole was turned down. It was also mentioned in the reply that apart from this incident, three other cases against Asaram are also under consideration. 

After hearing out both the sides, the High Court bench rejected the petition filed for Asaram’s parole. 

What Rules Say

It is worth mentioning that a five-year jail sentence served under a life imprisonment is considered to be one-fourth of the prison sentence, but on April 25, the court of SC-ST Act, Judge Madhusudan Sharma, sentenced Asaram in jail until he breathed his last.