Supreme Court denies Asaram interim bail, allows caregiver

The Supreme Court on Thursday, August 6, declined to grant interim bail on medical grounds to self-styled spiritual leader Asaram, who is serving a life sentence for the 2013 sexual assault of a minor. However, the court permitted him to have a trained caregiver of his choice provide round-the-clock assistance to him in jail, based on a medical assessment that found hospitalization was not required.

A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale adjourned Asaram's bail application but granted him liberty to seek an urgent hearing if his health deteriorates. The order followed a report from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which the court had directed on July 21 to conduct a comprehensive evaluation. The AIIMS report concluded that while Asaram suffers from multiple ailments, including coronary artery disease and recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding, he does not need to be hospitalized but would benefit from continuous assistance from trained personnel.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state of Rajasthan, alleged that Asaram had suppressed material facts from the court. He stated that after filing the interim bail plea...