Asaram rape case: A look-back at times the key-witnesses were attacked and killed

New Delhi: Asaram Bapu, is undeniably the most followed preacher and ‘godman’ in India. However, the aura of the godman has been fading ever since he has been accused of sexual assault on his female followers. After his arrest in 2013 for harassing a minor girl, two sisters from Surat too accused him and his son Narayan Sai of raping them when they stayed at their ashrams in Ahemdabad and Surat between 1997 and 2006, a period of almost ten years. A series of fatal attacks have been launched on the witnesses related to the cases. Many of the witnesses have died in these attacks. Here is a look at the times different witnesses related to Asaram’s case have been attacked. In September 2013, Manoj Kumar Vyas, a judge at the Jodhpur sessions court, was threatened to grant Asaram bail in the rape case. In December 2013 the husband of the woman who had accused Asaram of rape was stabbed in Surat. In March 2014, acid attack was done of witness Dinesh Bhavchandani. In May 2014, Amrit Prajapati a key witness was shot dead in Ahmedabad.  Prajapati was Asaram’s ayurveda doctor for almost 12 years. Akhil Gupta who was a cook of Asaram was shot dead in Muzaffarnagar of Uttar Pradesh in January 2015. In February 2015, Rahul Sachan,  a key witness in the rape case, was stabbed in Jodhpur court before he was going to testify. In May 2015, Mahendra Chawala witness against Asaram and Narayan Sai was attacked In July 2015, Kripal Singh a witness in Jodhpur rape case, was shot at, in Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.  He died a day after. Watch ABP News' report: