A court in Rajasthan will decide today if self-styled godman Asaram -- who runs 400 ashrams across India -- was guilty of raping a 16-year-old five years ago. Asaram has thousands of followers across India with extensive money and muscle power. The trial in the two cases against him has been marked by a string of attacks against witnesses who dared to testify against him. Even the police and media men said they have been targetted. Jodhpur, where Asaram has been jailed since 2013, has been converted to a fortress to prevent any reprisals from his followers. Similar precautions have been taken in Shahjahanpur of Uttar Pradesh, where the young woman and her family now stay.
