The Gujarat High Court has dismissed the furlough application filed by Narayan Sai, the son of self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, who is serving a life sentence in connection with a 2014 rape case in Surat. Justice MR Mengdey announced the decision on April 30, stating briefly, “I'm not inclined… dismissed.”
Narayan Sai had approached the High Court last month, requesting temporary leave from prison. The court had earlier directed the concerned authorities to decide on his plea within 30 days. However, his application was rejected by the authorities based on past incidents and security concerns.
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His lawyer argued that the reasons given for the rejection were speculative and lacked direct evidence. The counsel pointed out that Narayan Sai had previously been granted temporary bail on three separate occasions—in 2015 for three weeks, in 2019 for two days, and in 2020 for fourteen days—without any reported violations or disturbances.
"There was no breach of any condition, no threat to public peace during previous releases," said Sai's counsel.
He further emphasized that the grounds mentioned in the rejection referred to incidents from 2015 and 2016, which had already been reviewed in prior furlough cases. According to the counsel, the plea was made on humanitarian grounds to allow Sai to meet his ailing mother and reconnect with his family, whom he had not met in over 12 years.
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"Applicant is suffering from various health issues. He has not met his father or family for over a decade," the lawyer added, requesting the court to consider this and impose any condition as necessary.
The State's legal representative opposed the plea by referring to a 2021 Supreme Court order that had overturned a previous furlough granted by the High Court. The apex court cited serious concerns over Sai’s conduct and the potential risk to public safety.
"The Jail Superintendent reported that the respondent used a mobile phone inside the prison and attempted to contact people outside," read the Supreme Court’s earlier observation.
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It further highlighted the possible threat posed by Sai and his followers, including attempts to influence witnesses, bribe officials, and disrupt public peace. The court pointed out that these issues made it unsafe to release him, even temporarily.
“The respondent and his father have a large following. There is a reasonable fear of disturbance to public peace and intimidation of witnesses,” the order had stated.
Referring to these serious concerns and the repeated disciplinary issues during his time in prison, the State counsel argued that there was no merit in reconsidering Sai’s furlough application.
“Considering his consistent jail punishments and the Supreme Court’s clear stance, this is not a case the court should entertain,” the State counsel concluded.
Based on the arguments presented and earlier judicial observations, the Gujarat High Court decided to uphold the rejection of the furlough plea, thereby maintaining the status quo on Sai’s imprisonment.
Case title: NARAYAN@NARAYAN SAI V/S STATE OF GUJARAT & ORS
R/SCR.A/6111/2025
