Sai's counsel submitted that he was last granted temporary bail in September 2025 and is presently undergoing treatment for a spinal ailment.(File Photo)The Gujarat High Court on Friday sought a report on Narayan Sai’s medical condition after the self-styled godman sought temporary bail to undergo naturopathy and panchkarma treatment, claiming his spinal ailment and weight-related issues could not be adequately treated in jail.Sai is serving a life sentence following his 2019 conviction in a rape case. A division bench of Justice Gita Gopi and Justice LS Pirzada directed the prison authorities to apprise the court of Sai’s current medical condition before considering his request for interim relief.“Let the report of the medical officer of Jail Authority be called for, to apprise the court of the medical condition of the applicant,” the court stated in an oral order while posting the matter for further hearing on July 27.Sai’s counsel submitted that he was last granted temporary bail in September 2025 and is presently undergoing treatment for a spinal ailment. The advocate submitted that owing to his weight and related health complications, he was unable to receive adequate treatment within the prison. The counsel stated that while an ayurvedic doctor is treating him in the prison, the naturopathy and panchkarma treatment is unavailable in jail as well as civil hospitals. The counsel requested the court to call for an independent assessment from jail medical authorities before deciding the plea.Sai, who has been lodged in prison since December 2013, is serving a life sentence awarded by a Surat sessions court on April 30, 2019. He was convicted under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including repeated rape, rape by a person in a position of trust, unnatural offences, outraging the modesty of a woman, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult and criminal intimidation.The latest application comes barely two months after another bench of the High Court rejected Sai’s plea for suspension of sentence, holding that he could not seek release on the ground of prolonged incarceration when he had himself delayed the hearing of his appeal against conviction.The court had observed that although Sai had spent more than 11 years in custody, the record showed that since 2019 he had repeatedly sought temporary or regular bail instead of pursuing the final hearing of his criminal appeal.Story continues below this adThe court had noted that even when it expressed readiness to hear the appeal on a day-to-day basis, Sai’s counsel stated that she had instructions only to argue the suspension of sentence application. The judges concluded that the convict had “created a situation for his long incarceration” by failing to cooperate in the expeditious disposal of his appeal and, therefore, could not invoke delay in the appellate proceedings as a ground for bail.Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More Tags:Gujarat