Supreme Court asks AIIMS to constitute medical board to assess Asaram’s health

Published 21 July 2026 · health

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) asked the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to constitute a medical board

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) asked the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to constitute a medical board to assess the health condition of self-styled godman Asaram, who has sought interim bail on medical grounds. A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale directed the medical board to submit its report within a week, making it clear that no interim medical bail would be granted unless the board expressly recommended it. “The petitioner’s case may be referred to the Director of AIIMS, who may constitute a team of doctors, being experts in various fields, to conduct a thorough examination and submit a report on whether he should be admitted as an inpatient for treatment,” the Bench directed. On May 27, the Rajasthan High Court had upheld the conviction and life sentence awarded to the octogenarian for sexually assaulting a minor devotee at his Jodhpur ashram in 2013.

Opposing the bail plea, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Rajasthan government, submitted that Asaram had flagrantly violated the Supreme Court’s January 6, 2025 order granting him medical bail by attending religious congregations. He further pointed out that only a few months ago, Asaram had undertaken visits to Kashi Vishwanath and Ayodhya. “He got bail on the ground that he was in a vegetative state. But now he is roaming around,” Mr. Mehta said. ‘No relief unless there’s genuine emergency’ The Bench, however, reiterated that no interim relief would be granted unless there was a genuine medical emergency. Senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, appearing for Asaram, urged the Bench to consider his advanced age and medical condition. He submitted that the self-styled godman, now over 80 years old, was suffering from multiple ailments. “We are not granting bail except if we are satisfied it is required on medical grounds.

Let the report come. If the report says he is not entitled, we will not,” the Bench observed. Justice Sundresh also clarified that the medical board should carry out a comprehensive examination to determine whether Asaram requires hospitalisation for treatment. The matter has been posted for further hearing on July 30. The case stems from allegations that a minor girl, who was a devotee of Asaram, was confined at his ashram in the Manai area of Jodhpur in August 2013, where she was allegedly sexually assaulted and subjected to criminal intimidation. In April 2018, a special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act convicted Asaram of rape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and other offences under the Indian Penal Code, as well as the POCSO Act, and sentenced him to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life. He subsequently challenged the verdict before the Rajasthan High Court.