Jodhpur, Apr 1 (PTI) Self-styled Godman Asaram, convicted of raping a minor girl, returned to Jodhpur Central Jail on Tuesday after his interim bail expired.

His lawyers have filed a bail extension petition, which will be taken up for hearing on April 2.

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Since the court was closed from March 29 to 31 due to holidays, Asaram's lawyer, Nishant Bora, requested an early hearing in the matter.

"The court will hear the plea for bail extension on Wednesday," Bora said.

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The Gujarat High Court has already granted Asaram a three-month interim bail in a 2013 rape case lodged in Surat.

All the same, to be out, the disgraced guru will need to secure the same relief from the Rajasthan High Court.

"If the extension is denied by Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday, Asaram will have to remain in jail until he secures relief in both cases," his counsel said.

Asaram had been granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on January 14. He was subsequently granted interim bail till March 31 by Jodhpur High Court.

He was arrested in 2013 from an ashram in Indore for raping a minor at his ashram in Jodhpur. After a lengthy trial, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018 under the POCSO Act.

In the second case, a female disciple from Surat accused Asaram of repeatedly raping her at his Gandhi Nagar ashram in 2013.

A Gandhinagar court sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment in January 2023 in that case.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)