<div align="justify">Final arguments in a case of sexual exploitation of a teenage girl by Asaram Bapu finally began in the trial court here on Thursday after a legal battle for a little over four years.<br /><br />According to government counsel Pokar Ram, the arguments began with the circumstances that led the girl meeting Asaram at his ashram at Manai in Jodhpur on August 15, 2013.<br /><br />The trial court had recorded the statements of the accused one year ago. The re-examination of some witnesses again took a year.<br /><br />Victim’s counsel Pramod Kumar Verma said of the 58 witnesses, 44 were examined and remaining 14 were dropped considering their irrelevance.<br /><br />The case attracted media attention after his devotees created a ruckus.<br /><br />During the last four years, witnesses were threatened and four of them have been attacked so far. Two witnesses Amrut Prajapati and Kripal Singh have succumbed after being severely injured.<br /><br />Asaram during the last four years moved about 13 applications seeking bail in different courts from a trial court to the Supreme Court on health grounds, but all were rejected by the concerned courts.</div>
<div align="justify">Final arguments in a case of sexual exploitation of a teenage girl by Asaram Bapu finally began in the trial court here on Thursday after a legal battle for a little over four years.<br /><br />According to government counsel Pokar Ram, the arguments began with the circumstances that led the girl meeting Asaram at his ashram at Manai in Jodhpur on August 15, 2013.<br /><br />The trial court had recorded the statements of the accused one year ago. The re-examination of some witnesses again took a year.<br /><br />Victim’s counsel Pramod Kumar Verma said of the 58 witnesses, 44 were examined and remaining 14 were dropped considering their irrelevance.<br /><br />The case attracted media attention after his devotees created a ruckus.<br /><br />During the last four years, witnesses were threatened and four of them have been attacked so far. Two witnesses Amrut Prajapati and Kripal Singh have succumbed after being severely injured.<br /><br />Asaram during the last four years moved about 13 applications seeking bail in different courts from a trial court to the Supreme Court on health grounds, but all were rejected by the concerned courts.</div>
