Self-styled Godman Asaram Bapu is sentenced to life in prison for rape in 2013

In connection with a ten-year-old sexual assault case, Gandhinagar Sessions Court on Tuesday sentenced self-described godman Asaram Bapu to life in jail.

He was found guilty of raping a follower from Surat frequently between 2001 and 2006 when she was residing at his ashram in Ahmedabad's Motera, according to a case that was brought against him in 2013.

According to PTI, the prosecution argued in court on Tuesday that Asaram was a "habitual criminal" and requested life in jail and a significant punishment for the self-described godman in the case.

For raping a 16-year-old girl at his Jodhpur ashram in 2013, the 81-year-old godman is presently serving a life term in the Jodhpur Central prison.

"For the crime that the court has found Asaram guilty of, the maximum sentence is life in prison or ten years. However, we have claimed that since he was previously found guilty in a case quite similar to this one in Jodhpur, he is a chronic criminal "After the arguments were through, prosecutor Kodekar spoke to media outside the court.

He urged that Asaram be treated as a chronic criminal and get the worst sentence possible.

"We have argued in court that Asaram deserves the worst sentence possible for the manner he held the woman hostage, raped and sodomized her, and made her stay at the ashram. We advised the court to sentence him to life in prison. In addition, the court need to sentence him severely and compensate the victim "added the prosecutor.

Kodekar said, "The defense attorney stated that it has no issue to the detained godman serving 10 years in prison.

In the case brought by his former female disciple in 2013, the court found Asaram guilty on Monday under Indian Penal Code Sections 376 2 (C) (rape), 377 (unnatural offenses), 342 (wrongful detention), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 357 (assault), and 506 (criminal intimidation).

The prosecution also claimed that due to a lack of evidence, the court had cleared six additional defendants, including Asaram's wife Laxmiben, their daughter, and four followers who were suspected of helping to commit the murder.