A 77-year-old Indian spiritual Guru who claims to have millions of followers worldwide has been sentenced to life in prison of raping a teenage girl in 2013, in a trial held amid fears of major rioting.

A court in the western Indian city of Jodhpur on Wednesday ruled that Asaram Bapu had raped a 16-year old girl in the city at one of his 400-odd ashrams, where he instructed his disciples in meditation and yoga.

Heavy security was in place for the verdict after nine prosecution witnesses were attacked and three died during protests over the course of his trial. Twenty-three died during disorder following the sentencing of another guru, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, for rape last year.

Bapu, a self-styled 'Godman' who has a flowing white beard and wears white robes, was found guilty on Wednesday, with a judge later handing him a life sentence. His lawyers, however, said they would appeal against the verdict in a higher court.

“We have got justice” said the victim's father, who remains unnamed.

The verdict and sentencing was delivered inside the Jodhpur jail amidst tight security, as the authorities feared that taking the guru to the courthouse in the city centre could trigger violence from his followers.

Police in the nearby states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat, where Bapu has a large following, were placed on high alert in anticipation of trouble, officials said.