The Crossbill News Desk
The Rajasthan High Court on Monday (July 3) granted 20 days of regular parole to self-styled godman Asaram, who is serving a life sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting a minor girl, holding that the objections raised by the state were not supported by sufficient evidence.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sanjeet Purohit allowed the parole application after considering the period of Asaram's incarceration and his conduct during earlier instances of interim release, according to news agency PTI.
Currently lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail, Asaram has been directed to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 along with two solvent sureties of Rs 25,000 each before being released for the 20-day parole period.
During the hearing, the Rajasthan Police opposed the plea, arguing that there was a possibility the convict could abscond if released. The state relied on Rule 14(A) of the Rajasthan Prisoners Release on Parole Rules, 1958, pointing out that criminal proceedings against Asaram were pending outside Rajasthan and that he had also been convicted by a court in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The government further informed the court that a committee headed by the Jodhpur District Collector and District Magistrate had previously rejected Asaram's parole application.
The state also submitted that Asaram was undergoing medical treatment and had not been declared medically fit for parole by the competent medical authority. It argued that his release could pose a security threat to the victim's family and urged the court to reject the application on those grounds.
The High Court, however, found that the concerns expressed by the state and the police were speculative and lacked concrete supporting material.
The bench also observed that pending criminal proceedings or convictions in other states would continue to be governed by the respective laws applicable there and could not, on their own, be treated as sufficient grounds to deny parole in the present matter.
The order comes a few months after the Rajasthan High Court, in May this year, upheld Asaram's conviction under Section 376(2)(F) for the rape of a minor by a person in a position of trust, affirming the sentence of imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life.
The latest ruling grants Asaram temporary release under the conditions laid down by the court, while leaving his conviction and life sentence unchanged.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sanjeet Purohit allowed the parole application after considering the period of Asaram's incarceration and his conduct during earlier instances of interim release, according to news agency PTI.
Currently lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail, Asaram has been directed to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 along with two solvent sureties of Rs 25,000 each before being released for the 20-day parole period.
During the hearing, the Rajasthan Police opposed the plea, arguing that there was a possibility the convict could abscond if released. The state relied on Rule 14(A) of the Rajasthan Prisoners Release on Parole Rules, 1958, pointing out that criminal proceedings against Asaram were pending outside Rajasthan and that he had also been convicted by a court in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The government further informed the court that a committee headed by the Jodhpur District Collector and District Magistrate had previously rejected Asaram's parole application.
The state also submitted that Asaram was undergoing medical treatment and had not been declared medically fit for parole by the competent medical authority. It argued that his release could pose a security threat to the victim's family and urged the court to reject the application on those grounds.
The High Court, however, found that the concerns expressed by the state and the police were speculative and lacked concrete supporting material.
The bench also observed that pending criminal proceedings or convictions in other states would continue to be governed by the respective laws applicable there and could not, on their own, be treated as sufficient grounds to deny parole in the present matter.
The order comes a few months after the Rajasthan High Court, in May this year, upheld Asaram's conviction under Section 376(2)(F) for the rape of a minor by a person in a position of trust, affirming the sentence of imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life.
The latest ruling grants Asaram temporary release under the conditions laid down by the court, while leaving his conviction and life sentence unchanged.
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