Asaram undergoes health check-up at Ahmedabad hospital

Ahmedabad, Aug 18 (PTI) Self-styled godman Asaram, sentenced to life imprisonment in a 2013 rape case and currently out of bail, visited a hospital here on Monday for a medical check-up, as directed by the Rajasthan High Court.

On August 11, the Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthan High court extended till August 29 the interim bail granted to Asaram, who is serving the life term for raping a minor disciple at his gurukul.

While extending his interim bail, the bench had directed the authorities at the Ahmedabad civil hospital to form a panel of doctors for a detailed check-up of his health and submit a report in the court by August 27, two days prior to the expiry of bail.

The panel should comprise a cardiologist and a neurologist, the HC stated in its order.

"As directed by the Rajasthan High Court, Asaram Bapu on Monday appeared before the medical board for his examination. The panel of doctors will conduct various tests on him to prepare a report about his health condition," his legal manager Vikas Khemka said.

He further said 86-year-old Asaram was a heart patient and a thorough health check-up was necessary because doctors at an Indore-based hospital, where he was receiving treatment, were insisting on a by-pass surgery.

The relief from the Rajasthan HC last week came after a recent extension of his interim bail by the Gujarat High Court in a similar case till August 21.

On August 7, the Gujarat High Court extended till August 21 the temporary bail to Asaram, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Gandhinagar court in a 2013 rape case.

The division bench of Justices Ilesh Vora and PM Raval extended Asaram's temporary bail till August 21 on medical grounds after observing that he was in ICU at a private hospital and his health condition was critical.

While granting him temporary bail for the third time, the court noted an order passed by the Supreme Court on July 30 granting him liberty to approach the HC for temporary bail extension mainly on the ground of deterioration of his health. PTI PJT PD GK