Witness testifies in rape case against Asaram

Gandhinagar, May 4: A witness testified in a Sessions court here on Friday in a rape case in which the now-convicted self-styled godman Asaram and his son are accused, informed sources said. Asaram and his son Narayan Sai are accused of rape by two sisters from Surat in Gujarat. While the elder sister accused Asaram of sexual assault several times at his Motera ashram in Ahmedabad between 1997 and 2006, her younger sister levelled similar charges against Sai. Asaram, who is lodged in a Jodhpur jail, attended the Gandhinagar court hearing through video-conferencing. “As the trial court proceedings are held in-camera, we cannot disclose anything about it as per the law. The next hearing is fixed for May 14,” counsel R.C. Kodekar said. Till date, more than two dozen witnesses have got recorded their statements in court while a few others are still to do so. The court proceedings are held in-camera due to security considerations vis-a-vis the witnesses. (IANS)