Court directs police to provide security to witness

A court here directed the police to provide adequate security to a prosecution witness in the rape case against Asaram Bapu after she expressed inability to depose claiming threat to her life.
Sudha, a former 'sevadar' (assistant) of the self-styled 'godman' and an important prosecution witness, did not appear in court today.
The woman apprised the court of her fear that she might be attacked and sought adequate security cover.
District and Sessions Judge Manoj Kumar Vyas, however, assured her of adequate security cover. The court gave directions to the police commissioner of Jodhpur to ensure her safety so that she could appear in court to give her statement fearlessly.

"She was summoned by the court on Wednesday, but she has written to the court apprising it of her fear and has sought adequate security during her appearance in the court," said Promod Verma, counsel of the alleged victim.
"The court gave directions to the police commissioner of Jodhpur to ensure her safe travel from her place to the court and back home," he said.

Three important prosecution witnesses in the case Amrit Prajapati, Rahula Sachan and Mahendra Chawla have been attacked in the past and Prajapti had died.
Sachan and Chawla had recorded their statements in the court before they were attacked, but Prajapti had not appeared in the court.

"Sudha is also an important witness in the case and her statements could strengthen prosecution's case as she had been very closely associated with Asaram and could divulge some important aspects," said counsel for the girl P C Solanki.
According to prosecution counsel P R Bishnoi, out of 58 witnesses in the case, 41 have given their statements.
"Of rest, 14 have been struck down and one Prajapti has died. Remaining two witnesses are Sudha and the investigation officer Chanchal Mishra," he said.
73-year-old Asaram is lodged in a jail here following his arrest in September 2013 for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl in one of his ashrams.