Jodhpur/Ahmedabad, April 29 (IANS) The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday extended the interim bail of self-styled godman Asaram, who is serving a life sentence in a rape case, till May 25 on medical grounds.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice S.P. Sharma and Justice Sangeeta Sharma passed the order while hearing an application seeking extension of his bail, which was due to expire in early May.

The court directed that the interim relief would continue till May 25 or until the High Court delivers its judgment on his pending criminal appeal, whichever is earlier.

Appearing for Asaram, advocate Yashpal Rajpurohit submitted that the High Court had already completed hearings on the appeal pursuant to directions of the Supreme Court and had reserved its verdict.

He said, “After the Supreme Court’s order, the High Court has completed the hearing on the appeal and reserved judgment. Asaram’s treatment is still ongoing, so the bail period should be extended until the treatment is completed.”

The plea was opposed by the state, with Additional Advocate General Deepak Choudhary arguing against any further extension of interim bail.

Asaram, 84, has been serving a life sentence since 2018 after being convicted of raping a minor girl.

He was first granted interim medical bail by the Supreme Court in January 2025, and subsequently received a six-month bail from the Rajasthan High Court in October 2025, which was nearing expiry.

The latest order comes amid parallel legal proceedings concerning land linked to his ashram in Gujarat.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court stayed immediate eviction and forfeiture action initiated by the Gujarat government against land allotted to the ashram in the Motera area in Ahmedabad, providing interim protection to the property while the matter is examined further.

The land dispute has its origins in allegations that the ashram exceeded the terms of its original allotment and carried out unauthorised construction.

Earlier rulings had upheld the state’s move to reclaim portions of the land for public development, including planned sports infrastructure near the Narendra Modi Stadium, with authorities citing violations of allotment conditions and encroachment beyond permitted limits.

–IANS

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