JODHPUR (TIP): Self-styled godman Asaram Bapu’s bail plea was again rejected by a court in Jodhpur in the case of alleged sexual assault of a minor girl. The District and Sessions Court while denying relief to 72-year-old Asaram, who is in jail since September, took into account the “serious” allegations against him and the order of the high court for holding day-to-day proceedings in the case. “Besides this, the court also observed that that was no change in circumstances since the previous applications of bail were rejected in the lower court and then in the high court,” counsel for the victim girl Manish Vyas told reporters in Jodhpur. This was Asaram’s third bail plea and the first after filing of charge-sheet.

Asaram’s lawyers had, instead of moving bail application in Supreme Court, decided to wait till filing of the chargesheet since the main argument of the prosecution while objecting to grant of bail earlier was that the investigation was pending and police had not filed the charge-sheet. “We objected to the bail stating that he may affect the investigation by influencing witnesses,” said prosecution counsel Pradhyumn Singh. The court will pronounce its order on hearing of the case through video conferencing from jail. It had completed the hearing on the application and kept the decision reserved for November 20.