'Cannot Justify Ignoring Victim's Voice': Rajasthan HC Upholds Asaram's Life Term In Rape Case, Cancels Parole
'Cannot Justify Ignoring Victim's Voice': Rajasthan HC Upholds Asaram's Life Term In Rape Case, Cancels Parole Published By, Last Updated: June 02, 2026, 08:22 IST
'Cannot Justify Ignoring Victim's Voice': Rajasthan HC Upholds Asaram's Life Term In Rape Case, Cancels Parole Published By, Last Updated: June 02, 2026, 08:22 IST A Bench of Yogendra Kumar Purohit and Arun Monga directed Asaram to surrender at the Jodhpur Central Jail, cancelling his bail and ordering forfeiture of the bail bonds Rajasthan High Court upholds Asaram's conviction in rape case | File photo credit: PTI The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday upheld self-styled godman Asaram Bapu’s life term in connection with the rape of a minor, observing the convict’s frailty “cannot justify ignoring the victim’s voice". A Bench of Yogendra Kumar Purohit and Arun Monga directed Asaram to surrender at the Jodhpur Central Jail, cancelling his bail and ordering forfeiture of the bail bonds, The Indian Express reported. The court delivered the judgment while hearing criminal appeals challenging the 2018 conviction recorded by the Special POCSO Court at Jodhpur. In 2018, Asaram — a self-styled godman — was convicted by the court for the rape of a minor girl and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life. The case had garnered limelight, owing to the position of the accused and the serious nature of allegations levelled by the prosecutrix.
Asaram Acquitted Of Gang-Rape The Rajasthan High Court set aside his conviction for gangrape, aggravated penetrative sexual assault and criminal conspiracy — But upheld his conviction under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections pertaining to trafficking of a minor; wrongful confinement; criminal intimidation; sexual harassment; word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman; and for being a relative, guardian, teacher, or person in a position of trust or authority who commits rape on such woman, The Indian Express reported. The court also upheld his conviction under provisions of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, as it backed the trial court’s “well-reasoned order denying leniency to the appellant". “The appellant was 73 at the time. He is now 86. He thus stands before us bent by age and burdened by ailment, imploring a fresh look at his plea for leniency. We have considered his plea and applied our mind. We are unable to grant any indulgence, since in the shadow of his frailty cannot justify ignoring the victim’s voice.
Quiet. Devastating. Irrefutable. To ignore it would be to shake society’s faith in the criminal justice system, and send wrong a message no court must ever send, least of all when the perpetrator hid behind the cloak of a self-styled godman," the High Court remarked, as quoted by The Indian Express. ‘Sentence Served Upon Victim’s Soul Lifelong’ Upholding Asaram’s conviction, the High Court emphasised the sentence served upon the soul of the victim is lifelong, adding it is written “not in ink, but in indelible anguish". “It knows no remission, no parole, no appellate remedy. For, a rape victim does not merely carry a wound. She carries an erasure — of her dignity, of her identity, of the self she was before the moment which not only completely destroyed, but cleaved her life into a before and an after. The violation does not end when the act ends. It reverberates through every moment of silence, every crowded room, every ordinary day made unbearable by the indelible memory of it", said the court, as quoted by The Indian Express. Asaram had challenged his 2018 conviction on multiple grounds, alleging the trial judge failed to curb the adverse media propaganda against him and that the investigating agency and prosecution deliberately acted in a manner that made it impossible to probe the case dispassionately, as per the report.
He alleged that the e-FIR was registered after inordinate delay — and that too in Delhi rather than the jurisdictional police station — an aspect which he claimed was a part of a “pre-concerted and deeply planned conspiracy". News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: June 02, 2026, 08:22 IST News india 'Cannot Justify Ignoring Victim's Voice': Rajasthan HC Upholds Asaram's Life Term In Rape Case, Cancels Parole Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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