He Was Convicted of Raping a Child. His Followers Are Trending His Bail.
Meera is a second-year law student in Jaipur. It is 7 a.m. Her phone buzzes. Her aunt has forwarded a poster to the family group: an old man on a stretcher, a hashtag #इलाज_अधिकार_है (treatment is a right), and the words "Article 21. Release Innocent." The aunt writes: "Even the Constitution says he must be freed. Share!" Meera knows Article 21. She studied it last week. For a moment she nods. Right to life. Right to health. It sounds correct. Then she opens a news summary. The man is Asaram, 87. He has been in custody since 2013. In 2018 a Jodhpur court convicted him of raping a minor. He is serving a life sentence. His supporters say he has heart problems and needs bail and Ayurvedic treatment. The Supreme Court ordered AIIMS reports and allowed a 24-hour caregiver. The AIIMS assessment found several health issues but no need for immediate hospitalisation. Recent pleas for interim bail were denied. What went wrong in the forward? It used a true idea, the ri...
