Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Friday rejected the bail application of jailed self-styled godman Asaram in a rape case filed against him by a woman in 2013.

While rejecting his bail plea following objections raised by the prosecution, Justice AJ Desai also directed the Gandhinagar sessions court to wind up the trial in four months.

In his bail plea, filed through advocate Dipak Patel, Asaram sought relief on the ground that he is already above 80 years of age and that his health was deteriorating.

Patel sought bail for his client claiming there were no signs of the trial concluding anytime soon as Gandhinagar sessions court is yet to examine 22 to 24 witnesses, and cited Supreme Court judgments of the past to claim the court cannot keep an accused behind bars forever.

Public Prosecutor RC Kodekar objected and told court the facts of Asaram's case was different from the cases cited by his lawyer.

Kodekar said Asaram is already convicted in another rape case and seven witnesses of this case have been attacked so far. While two witnesses have died after the attack, a third one is still missing.

In 2018, Asaram was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in Rajasthan for raping a minor at his ashram.

In Gujarat, two Surat-based sisters had lodged separate complaints against Asaram and his son Narayan Sai, accusing them of rape and illegal confinement.

The elder sister, in her complaint against Asaram, had accused him of repeated sexual assaults between 2001 and 2006 when she was staying at his ashram in Motera area of Ahmedabad.