Panipat (Haryana) [India], Apr 25 (NT): Mahendra Chawla who The former aide and a key witness in the Asaram Bapu case, on Wednesday urged the Centre for additional security as he believed his life, like other witnesses, is relentlessly under threat.

"Though I have security, I request Centre for additional security, my life like other witnesses is constantly under threat," Chawla said as quoted by ANI.

Chawla also requested the judges to hang rapists like self-styled godman Asaram.

"Trust judiciary and am confident that Asaram will be convicted. I request judiciary that such rapists should be hanged," he urged.

Almost five years after rape charges were leveled against the 77 year old self-styled Bapu , the Jodhpur Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Court pronounced its verdict today.

A number of devotees were seen offering prayers at the Asaram's ashram in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal, Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, Gujarat's Ahmedabad and Punjab's Ludhiana for his release ahead of the judgment today.

Earlier in the day, an insane follower of Asaram had reached Jodhpur Central Jail with a garland was arrested by police.

In the case registered in Jodhpur court, a teenage girl from Shahajahanpur of Uttar Pradesh had accused Asaram of raping her at his ashram in Manai village near Jodhpur on the night of August 15, 2013. On the other hand  in Gujarat, two Surat-based sisters filed separate complaints against the ‘Bapu’and his son Narayan Sai, accusing them of rape.