Final arguments begin in sexual exploitation case allegedly involving Asaram

Final arguments began today in a case related to the alleged sexual exploitation of a teenage girl in which self-styled godman Asaram is an accused.

The prosecution began the final arguments in a trial court, which will be followed by the defence arguments, said government counsel Pokar Ram.

He said the arguments began with the prosecution narrating its version about the circumstances in which the alleged victim met the godman at his ashram in village Manai near here on August 15, 2013.

Counsel for the victim, Pramod Kumar Verma, said that they had provided a list of 58 witnesses, of which 44 were examined while the remaining 14 were dropped considering their "irrelevance".

The case also made headlines due to the attacks on some of the witnesses.

Four witnesses have faced attacks, of which two, Amrut Prajapati and Kripal Singh, succumbed whereas two others, Rahul Sachan and Mahendra Chawla, survived.

Asaram has moved about a dozen applications seeking bail in the case but all of them have been rejected by the concerned courts.