The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday upheld the life imprisonment awarded to self-styled godman Asaram in the 2013 minor rape case, while granting partial relief by setting aside the gangrape and criminal conspiracy charges against him. The court also acquitted his co-accused, Sharatchandra and Shilpi, of all charges in the matter.
The verdict was delivered by a division bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar Monga and Justice Yogendra Kumar Purohit at the Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthan High Court. The bench dismissed Asaram’s appeal challenging the 2018 conviction and sentence passed by the special POCSO court.
While maintaining the life sentence, the High Court held that the charges related to rape under the Indian Penal Code, sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and offences under the Juvenile Justice Act were proved by the prosecution. However, the court observed that the available evidence was insufficient to sustain charges of gangrape and criminal conspiracy, leading to the removal of those charges.
The court further directed Asaram to surrender despite the fact that he is currently out on interim bail on medical grounds. His interim bail had earlier been extended until July 7, 2026.
Sharatchandra and Shilpi, who had previously been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by the trial court, were acquitted by the High Court after the bench found insufficient evidence against them.
The case dates back to 2013, when a minor girl accused Asaram of sexually assaulting her at his ashram in Jodhpur. Following an investigation, police filed a chargesheet against him and the co-accused. In April 2018, a special POCSO court convicted Asaram and sentenced him to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life.
Arguments in the appeals concluded earlier this year after extensive hearings before the Rajasthan High Court. Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat represented Asaram and the co-accused, while the Rajasthan government was represented by Additional Advocate General Deepak Chaudhary. Advocate P.C. Solanki appeared on behalf of the survivor.
Following the judgment, counsel for the survivor stated that the High Court had not stayed Asaram’s life sentence and that legal options, including a possible appeal before the Supreme Court against the acquittal of the co-accused, were being considered.
The judgment marks a significant development in the long-running case, which has remained in the spotlight since Asaram’s arrest in 2013 and subsequent conviction in 2018. (The daily Jagran)
