Asaram's latest demand: More Ganga jal to bathe in

Controversial godman Asaram Bapu’s life in jail seems to be getting tougher by the day. Lodged in Jodhpur’s Central Jail till 15 September, Asaram has rolled out a list of ‘reasonable’demands, which his lawyer Pradeep Choudhary argues, he be permitted considering his age. Choudhary told a Jodhpur trial court that the jail superintendent had denied Asaram “reasonable facilities” and that he be permitted the following: a personal bed, Ganga jal, some herbs and medicines, books and a few other items to carry out puja inside the jail premises. [caption id=“attachment_1089295” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Controversial godman Asaram Bapu has a list of ‘reasonable demands’. PTI[/caption] “The facilities should be made available to my client considering his age. We had asked the jail authorities for the same but the request was turned down,” the lawyer told Indian Express. When first arrested, jail authorities told _IANS_ that Asaram was lodged in a special room, reportedly the same one where Bollywood star Salman Khan was lodged, instead of the barracks but he could barely sleep thanks to constant mosquito attacks. “Asaram Bapu slept on a ‘chatai’ (mat) in the room. He sprinkled ‘Gangajal’ (holy water) in the room to purify the surroundings. A few prisoners even looked after his needs," the jail source had said. The Ganga jal, however, didn’t seem enough for Asaram as he demanded much more so that he could bathe in it, The Indian Express reports. On his first day in jail, Asaram was also provided fruits and sweets by his supporters but jail authorities soon stopped the  gesture saying the godman was healthy and there was no need for him to be treated differently from other prisoners.