The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday (May 27) partially upheld the conviction of self-styled godman Asaram Bapu in the 2013 sexual assault case involving a minor girl, while acquitting him and his co-accused of gang rape and criminal conspiracy charges due to what the court described as “insufficient” evidence on record.

A division bench comprising Justice Arun Monga and Justice Yogendra Kumar Purohit pronounced the verdict at 8 AM on appeals filed against the 2018 judgment of the Special POCSO Court in Jodhpur.

The bench set aside charges under Section 376(D), Sections 5(G)/6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and IPC Section 120(B), which pertained to gang rape, aggravated penetrative sexual assault and criminal conspiracy.

Co-accused Sharat Chandra and Sanchita Gupta alias Shilpi, earlier sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for allegedly facilitating the survivor’s access to Asaram and participating in the conspiracy, were also acquitted.

At the same time, the high court upheld Asaram’s conviction under Section 376(2)(F) for rape of a minor by a person in a position of trust and retained the life sentence awarded to him for the remainder of his natural life.

Convictions under Sections 342, 370(4), 506, 509 and 354(A) of the IPC, along with Sections 7/8 of the POCSO Act and Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act, were also sustained.

P.C. Solanki, appearing for the survivor, told reporters that the sentence remains fully operative and indicated that they would be challenging the co-accused’s acquittal in the Supreme Court after consulting with his client.

The 2018 conviction had found Asaram guilty of sexually assaulting a minor girl at his Jodhpur ashram in 2013. Despite serving a life sentence, he has repeatedly secured interim bail on medical grounds over the years.

The Rajasthan High Court granted him temporary relief in early 2024, while successive extensions since October 2025 have allowed him to remain out of prison. Earlier this year, the Gujarat High Court granted him bail on March 28 till June 15, later extending it until July 7, just days before Wednesday’s ruling.

The development has once again drawn attention to how influential figures accused or convicted of sexual offences continue to receive repeated legal relief.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, convicted in 2017 for raping two women disciples, was released from Sunaria jail on parole for the 16th time this week. His latest 30-day parole follows multiple releases granted through 2025, including furloughs and extended paroles.

Also read: Convicted Dera Chief Ram Rahim Gets 16th Parole Since Imprisonment

Similarly, former Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had faced allegations of sexual harassment from several wrestlers, including a minor.

However, a Delhi court accepted a police closure report in the minor’s case after investigators said “no corroborative evidence” was found.

In another prominent case, former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, convicted for raping a minor in Unnao and separately held guilty in the custodial death case of the survivor’s father, was granted suspension of sentence by the Delhi High Court.

The Supreme Court later intervened, directing reconsideration of the order with the survivor’s counsel present.

The sequence of developments in these cases has renewed scrutiny over the treatment of politically and religiously influential convicts accused of grave sexual offences, particularly under the POCSO Act, and whether the criminal justice system extends relief to the accused more readily than protection and closure to survivors.