Rajasthan HC orders Asaram’s release on 20-day parole

The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, directed the state government to release self-styled godman Asaram on 20-day parole in compliance with its earlier order of 3 August 2026. A division bench of Justice Nupur Bhati and Justice Sanjeet Purohit also ordered the state to submit a compliance report on the implementation.

Asaram's counsel argued that despite the High Court granting parole in August, the state had not acted on it. The state government, represented by Additional Advocate General B.L. Bhati, opposed the release, citing Asaram's conviction in a separate case in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and the Gujarat High Court's rejection of his parole plea there. The bench, however, rejected this argument, observing that the state had not placed any legal basis for setting aside its earlier order and that the Gujarat rejection did not affect it.

The court also noted that the state had not challenged the August order before the Supreme Court. Asaram was convicted in 2018 by a Special POCSO Court in Jodhpur for raping a minor and sentenced to life imprisonment. He is also serving a life sentence from a 2023 Gujarat conviction. The High Court directed compliance with its earlier order.