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Haryana was on edge on Sunday, a day before the special CBI judge pronounces the sentence against the maverick Dera Sacha Sauda cult chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, convicted of raping his two women followers, in a Rohtak jail on Monday. CBI court judge Jagdeep Singh will be flown to Rohtak district jail where he would pronounce the quantum of sentence against Singh, whose conviction on Friday saw his followers run riot in several places in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. Ripples were also felt in Delhi and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. The death toll in violence and arson that immediately followed the conviction of the flamboyant chief of the sect that has millions of followers in India and abroad, meanwhile, has risen to 38, state’s Director General of Police BS Sandhu said. Police have registered 52 cases in connection with the violence which left a trail of destruction, particularly in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, and arrested 926 people, Sandhu told a press conference in Chandigarh. A multi-layer security cordon has been thrown around the jail where Singh has been lodged, Sandhu said. The jail is located at Sunaria, on the outskirts of Rohtak city, which resembles a garrison town with security pickets all over the place. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had yesterday ordered the Haryana government to make necessary arrangements at the jail where the judge would sentence Singh in the 15-year-old case of sexual assault of two sadhvis. Inspector General of Police (Rohtak range) Navdeep Virk, who is overseeing security arrangements in Rohtak, said there was a “complete clampdown” on dera centres known as (naam charcha ghar) and all its functionaries who could gather people for creating trouble have been put under detention in the state. Sandhu, meanwhile said, Army was on standby in Rohtak to meet any eventuality. Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) prohibiting assembly of five or more persons, and carrying of firearms and other weapons is already in place in Rohtak. [caption id=“attachment_3980863” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of violence in the aftermath of the Gurmeet Ram rahim Singh’s verdict. Reuters[/caption] All educational institutions, including government and private schools, colleges and other institutions in the entire state, will remain closed on Monday, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas said in an official release. Sandhu said curfew has been lifted from all places in Haryana barring Sirsa, where the sect is heaquartered. Sirsa district administration relaxed curfew for five hours in and around the dera headquarters this morning. There have been no reports of violence from anywhere in Haryana and Punjab since yesterday. Train operations in Punjab and Haryana, severely affected by violence in two states, have been restored, except for the Delhi-Rohtak-Bathinda section, a railway ministry statement said in New Delhi. The security clearance for the section is awaited from state authorities, it said. Mobile internet services will remain suspended in Haryana and Punjab till 11:30 am on Tuesday. Internet lease lines on the premises of the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters at Sirsa will also be suspended till then, officials said. Security forces were on high alert in Haryana and strict vigil was being maintained in sensitive districts including Panchkula, Sirsa, Rohtak and Fatehabad, they said. At many sensitive places in Punjab too, security forces conducted flag marches and kept a tight vigil in sensitive areas. Four rifles, including an AK-47, pistols and petrol bombs were among the weapons seized from the supporters of the sect. Two cases of sedition have been registered against Dera followers, police said without giving much detail as they have to submit a report to the high court on Tuesday. Under attack over the massive violence, the Haryana government had suspended Ashok Kumar, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Panchkula, saying his “defective” prohibitory orders allowed the crowd build-up in the district. Meanwhile, authorities in Punjab and Haryana have started identifying movable and immovable assets of the cult on the directions of the high court, officials said. Revenue officials of the two states are compiling details of properties and assets of the dera, a quasi-religious sect headed by Singh, who wields considerable political influence and instructs his followers which party to vote for during elections. Banks have been asked to provide details of accounts of the dera. “A list of the Dera’s assets, incomes, bank accounts and properties is being prepared on a war footing,” an official involved in the exercise in the twin states of Haryana and Punjab said. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the two states to submit by Tuesday a list of the dera’s properties and assets which can be attached in case it is found that they were responsible for property after Singh’s conviction. Sedition and attempt to murder charges have, meanwhile, been slapped against seven persons, including five Haryana police personnel, who were part of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s security detail when he had arrived at the Panchkula CBI court on August 25. “Sedition charge has been slapped against seven persons, including five Haryana police personnel,” Karambir Singh, Inspector, Panchkula Police (Sector-5), said today. They have also been accused of attempt to murder, he added. The seven securitymen accompanying Singh had allegedly tried to free him when the self-styled godman was brough outside the Panchkula court complex on Friday after the special CBI court convicted him. A scuffle had broken out between them and Haryana police personnel. With inputs from PTI
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh sentence hearing as it happened: Dera chief languishes alone in Rohtak jail
The special CBI judge will pronounce the sentence against the maverick Dera Sacha Sauda cult chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was convicted of raping his two women followers, in a Rohtak jail on Monday.
 "Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh sentence hearing as it happened: Dera chief languishes alone in Rohtak jail")
Curfew to be relaxed in Sirsa between 7 am and 7 pm tomorrow
With no instances of violence being reported here after the sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the district administration decided to relax curfew from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm tomorrow. During the period, schools and colleges will also remain open.
The decision was taken at a high level meeting between authorities. Sirsa town is home to the sprawling Dera headquarters where the sect’s followers had gathered in large numbers ahead of Ram Rahim’s conviction.
Copy of CBI court order sentencing Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to 20 years in jail
Copy of judgement accessed by Sat Singh, member of 101Reporters.
Ram Rahim Singh kept alone in cell
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the self-styled godman has been allocated a single cell in the Rohtak prison, NDTV reported. The news channel also said that the Dera chief was reportedly crying on his first night in the prison.
Known for maintaining a flamboyant lifestyle, and an unusually blingy sartorial sense, the 20 year rigorous imprisonment came as a set-back for the Dera chief. His lawyers have decided to appeal in higher courts for some relief.
20 years might not suffice considering Sirsa godman’s criminal past
Whether or not the 20 years of jail may suffice Ram Rahim, the punishment needs to be examined along with other allegations of crime against the self-proclaimed godman. Times Now reported that several more sadhvis were raped.
Besides rape, Singh has been accused of encouraging his followers to undergo castrations to gain proximity with God. There are also questions over the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati who exposed Singh’s wrongdoings way back in 2002.
Read full article hereHaryana govt sends report on Dera violence to Centre
The Haryana government has sent a factual report to the Centre on the violence reported in various parts of the state following the conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case, but there is no mention of any lapses on part of the authority, officials said.
The BJP-led state government has, in the report, narrated the incidents which took place in various parts of Haryana,the number of deaths and those injured, and about destruction of properties, they said. However, there is no mention of any lapses on part of the authority in controlling the large scale violence.
There was also no mention about whether the 20,000 paramilitary personnel sent by the central government were deployed properly in the northern state, officials told PTI.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim harassed his adopted ‘daughter’s husband’, says Beant Singh, former bodyguard of Ram Rahim: Times Now
Gurmeet Ram Rahim harassed his adopted ‘daughter's husband', says Beant Singh, fmr bodyguard of Ram Rahim #RamRahimTapes pic.twitter.com/b0PPVMr2Qp
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) August 28, 2017
Delhi will continue to remain on high alert: Delhi Police
Ready2Deal wth anyEventuality. Delhi wil remain Peaceful as ever.@HMOIndia @LtGovDelhi @CPDelhi @splcpnorthdelpo @Ravindra_IPS @DelhiPolice pic.twitter.com/Ovo09fQCHY
— DCP East Delhi (@DCPEastDelhi) August 28, 2017
Former CBI officer says investigators could trace 30 to 40 victims sexually assaulted by Dera chief
We could locate 30-40 sexual assault victims: M L Sharma, Former Special Director, CBI #RamRahimTapes
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) August 28, 2017
Dera chief used to rape sadhvis often; murdered many men:Times Now reports
Times Now quoted a man named Beant Singh, who claimed to be a former aide of the Dera chief for 15 years, said that Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has murdered several people and has disposed off bodies in the near-by lake and some of them are even buried in the Dera headquarters.
He also said that the Dera chief is a known assaulter and has raped almost 90 percent of the sadhvis in the Dera were sexually assaulted or raped.
TAPE 1: The cave of carnal sin: 90% of 300 Sadhvis raped. Watch Beant Singh, as he lifts the veil on the cave of carnal sins #RamRahimTapes pic.twitter.com/o7iZABZPoE
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) August 28, 2017
Dera chief one of many self-styled godmen’ embroiled in scandals
India’s self-styled “godmen” have legions of devoted followers, but several have been embroiled in scandals in recent years. As a court convicts Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh — known as the “guru in bling” — in a rape case, here are some of the more famous godmen:
- Rampal Maharaj
- Ashutosh Maharaj
- Asaram Bapu
- Swami Nithyananda
- Sathya Sai Baba
My father received death threats for unmasking dera chief: Watch statement of son of slain journalist
#Epicentre | After publishing the report, my father received threat calls and political pressure. Later he was shot dead: Slain Scribe’s son pic.twitter.com/Li4GPLTNK0
— News18 (@CNNnews18) August 28, 2017
Political parties welcome prison term given to Dera chief
Leaders from various political parties on Monday welcomed the 20-year prison term given to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh even as some Opposition leaders lashed out at the Haryana government for the violence that preceded the pronouncement of the sentence.
Leaders from various political parties on Monday welcomed the 20-year prison term given to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh even as some Opposition leaders lashed out at the Haryana government for the violence that preceded the pronouncement of the sentence.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said that Ram Rahim’s conviction was a message that no one is too big to be prosecuted.
Will move high court against verdict, says Dera chief’s lawyer
Rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will appeal against the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court judgement sentencing him to 20 years rigorous imprisonment and Rs 30 lakh fine in two rape cases, his lawyer said on Monday.
Talking to reporters here, the Dera chief’s lawyer S.K. Garg said they had pleaded with the court to take a lenient view in awarding the sentence as the rape cases were old.
Law and order situation will not be allowed to be disturbed: CM Manohar Lal Khattar
#RamRahimSingh sentenced for total of 20 yrs,10 10-yrs each & a fine of Rs 15 lakh in each of the two cases: Haryana CM ML Khattar pic.twitter.com/TE5ocVqvO9
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2017
Cell number 1997 of Rohtak prison new address of Dera chief for next 20 years
NDTV reported that Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is lodged in cell number 1997 of Rohtak Central prison as news broke that 10-year-jail sentences in two rape cases, and both sentences will run consecutively. This means that if the Dera chief fails to get some relief from higher courts, he will remain lodged in jail for the next 20 years.
Ram Rahim Singh gets 20 years of rigorous imprisonment
The CBI court has sentenced Ram Rahim Singh to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in each of two rape cases that he has been convicted for. The court, in an important demarcation, stated that the sentences will run consecutively and not concurrently. This makes the total punishment 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in jail.
Ram Rahim Singh joins other 1388 males facing between 10 and 13 years of jail term in Haryana
Ram Rahim Singh joins a growing number of rape convicts in Haryana jails, which throw some interesting statistics.
- Haryana has the second-highest number of convicts lodged in district jails
- No dearth of peers for Baba in jail as Haryana jails has 1,003 males convicted in the age group of 50 and above, according to 2015 data.
We will read the judgement in detail & will definitely appeal in higher courts: #RamRahimSingh's lawyer pic.twitter.com/nthGSKJekP
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2017
Ram Rahim also fined Rs 15 lakh in each of two case; Rs 14 lack to be paid as compensation to 2 vitims
Judge announced 10 yrs imprisonment & Rs.15 lakh fine each in 2 cases & Rs.14 lakh each to be paid to both victims: #RamRahimSingh's lawyer pic.twitter.com/atoTiHf8ET
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2017
Dera accounts to be attached
No untoward incident was reported from Sirsa after the pronouncement of the quantum of sentence of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who has been convicted in a rape case, a senior Haryana government official said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters here, IAS officer V Umashankar also said that the district authorities had ordered the attachment of the Sirsa-based Dera’s accounts and compensation to those affected in the violence earlier could be given from these.
37,000 men deployed in Haryana; 4,000 man Punjab in wake of verdict on Dera chief
37 companies that is 3700 men are deployed in #Haryana and 4 companies deployed in #Punjab ; prepared for any eventuality: S Sharma DIG SSB pic.twitter.com/jjDE6cG2Ne
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2017
BJP dubs Dera chief a ’thug’, lauds Haryana government
The BJP dubbed rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as a “thug” and said the Haryana government did a “commendable” job by producing him before court without any violence.
“They should be punished like anything. They are indulging in thuggery and misguiding people by appearing to be a Dharmaguru which is the worst,” BJP General Secretary and incharge of Haryana Anil Jain told reporters .
Defending the Haryana government, Jain said that the causalities would have been much higher on Friday if the administration had not acted promptly.
“First and foremost thing for the government and administration was to get him to surrender and to get him sentenced so that he goes to jail. That is what we maintained without any violence. After the verdict, retaliation was expected and the administration contained it within two-and-half hours. It was commendable,” Jain said.
“This man is having a sizeable number of supporters and to control them was not an easy task. The administration did a commendable job by getting him sentenced,” he said.
Safe passage has been given to people inside Dera to leave peacefully; If court orders sealing of complex then it will be done: DIG SSB pic.twitter.com/BQaHyYBcZ6
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2017
Why Dera Sacha Sauda draws followers?
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is a convicted rapist and faces serious allegations in other henious crimes. However, no taint againnst the Love charger Baba is enough to deter thousands of his followers. What is it that has enamoured millions to the Baba’s charm so much so that the blind devotion escapes the understanding of Lutyens’ Delhi.
“In Punjab and Haryana, where caste divisions are deeply entrenched in society, Dera Sacha Sauda promises a caste-free society. The Dera chief has laid an emphasis on “equality and humility” which attracts people, particularly those from lower strata of society, to his sect. Moreover, the Dera offers subsidised food and medicine to those followers who come from underprivileged backgrounds.
Ram Rahim, during his time as Dera chief, has launched several public welfare projects, 104 of which are currently ongoing. The Dera has even won 13 Guinness Awards for de-addiction, ophthalmological, diabetes and cardiac clinics, tree-plantation and cleanliness drive. It has a 70,000-strong trained volunteer force for nationwide relief and rescue operations,” News 18 reports.
Curfew to be imposed in Barnala
Curfew to be imposed in #Punjab 's Barnala from 9 pm today till 9 am tomorrow: Harjeet Singh, SSP Barnala #RamRahimSingh
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2017
“I am innocent,” The godman in bling wept before the court
The high-profile rape case verdict ended with high-drama in the courtroom, completely in contrast to the superhero image Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, portrays of hismself in his movies.
The Dera chief entered the court premises with folded hands and broke down into tears after the verdict was announced. The Dera chief dropped to the floor and held his chair to stop marshals from escorting him out of the courtroom. He reportedly pleaded with the judge to “please forgive him’ at one point, while he blabbered on that he was innocent moments later.
The Dera chief eventually had to be dragged out of the court as he refused to leave the makeshift court premises, complaining of chest pain and high blood pressure.
Dera chief verdict: Even death penalty less, says DCW chief
Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal on Monday welcomed the 10-year jail term handed out by a CBI court to rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and said even death penalty was less in his case.
Finally, punished for his crime. Though his crime is so heinous, even death penalty is less for him. https://t.co/pyYAZtAr25
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) August 28, 2017
#Haryana Security arrangements in #Sirsa post sentencing of #RamRahimSingh pic.twitter.com/AlKbBQSI41
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2017
Why did Ram Rahim get only 10 years in jail despite raping minors?
The offence was committed before the stringent Prevention of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act came into existence. Therefore, fortunateky for the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, he could not be tried under the new law, where the maximum sentence is life term, as it cannot be applied retrospectively.
The case against the Dera chief was filed in 2002 and he was booked under sections 375 and 376 of the IPC. The minimum punishment that could be awarded to Singh under these two sections was seven years and he got 10 in jail.
Read the full report hereVictim’s lawyer to approach HC for enhancement of punishment
Utsav Singh Bains, lawyer for the victims, said he would seek a longer sentence and asked India’s federal investigations bureau to investigate dozens more alleged cases of abuse.
“We will file two appeals shortly. One for enhancement of the punishment and another for further investigation into the case,” Bains told AFP by phone.
“We believe there are at least 48 more victims who were sexually abused and who may have been killed or are too scared to come out and testify against Ram Rahim,” Bains said.
Congress party hails CBI court verdict on Ram Rahim
With the #RamRahimSentencing, the judiciary has proven that no one is above the Constitution and rule of law. #BJPBabaJailed
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 28, 2017
Baba Ramdev hails CBI court verdict, says all are equal before law
#10YearsForMSG Court has set an example that no one can escape the law: Baba Ramdev on 10-year sentence to rape convict #RamRahimSingh | ANI pic.twitter.com/5b8UV0FNv8
— News18 (@CNNnews18) August 28, 2017
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