Asaram Bapu Life Sentence Upheld In POCSO Case

Asaram Bapu Life Sentence Upheld

The Rajasthan High Court has upheld the life sentence given to Asaram Bapu in the 2013 minor rape case. The Jodhpur bench dismissed his appeal against the 2018 trial court order and said the charges of rape, sexual assault under the POCSO Act and offences under the Juvenile Justice Act were proved.

However, the court gave partial relief by dropping the charges of gangrape and criminal conspiracy, stating that the evidence was not enough to sustain those charges. The bench also acquitted co-accused Sharatchandra and Shilpi, who had earlier been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by the trial court.

Case May Move To Supreme Court

The case dates back to 2013, when a minor girl accused Asaram of sexually assaulting her at his Jodhpur ashram. In April 2018, a special POCSO court sentenced him to imprisonment for the rest of his natural life.

The High Court has not stayed the sentence and also directed Asaram to surrender. He is currently out on interim medical bail till July 7, 2026. The survivor’s lawyer said they may approach the Supreme Court against the acquittal of the co-accused after consulting the survivor.