Rohtak: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was on Monday sentenced to 20 years in jail for rape and criminal intimidation of two female disciples.

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The sect chief has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in each of two cases of rape that date back to 2002. Both sentences will run consecutively.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court judge Jagdeep Singh announced the sentences. Singh arrived in Rohtak in a helicopter, landing on a helipad near the jail located on the outskirts of the city.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on the Dera chief. The rape victims will get Rs 14 lakh each as compensation from this amount.

"Total sentence is 20 (10-10 in each case) years," his lawyer SK Narwana confirmed. He said that the verdict will be challenged in a High Court. 


CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal​ also said, "Ram Rahim has been sentenced to 20 years (10-10 in both cases) in jail. Both sentences to run consecutively," as per ANI.


In another case of criminal intimidation (section 506 of IPC) the Dera chief has been sentenced to two years of imprisonment, Narwana said. "In section 506 of IPC, his term will run concurrently," he said.


The sentence against him was passed in a makeshift court in the Sunaria jail where Ram Rahim, 50, had been lodged since his conviction on Friday.


The hearing to decide the quantum of sentence started at 2.30 pm today and the judge gave 10 minutes each to the defence and prosecution sides to make their submission, court sources said. 

While Ram Rahim's counsel argued for leniency and minimum punishment saying that he was a social worker and had health issues, the CBI counsel sought maximum punishment given his conduct. The prosecution wanted the case to be treated as 'rarest of the rare', IANS reported.


"Having due regard to the peculiar fact and circumstances of the case, the court is of the view that if acts of the convict in sexually exploiting his own female disciples and intimidating them of dire consequences is taken note of, then such kind of persons does not deserve any kind of leniency from the court," judge Singh said.


The court added, "Such criminal act of a particular individual/convict who is stated to be heading a religious organisation known as Dera Sacha Sauda having its headquarters at Sirsa are bound to shatter images of pious and sacred spiritual social cultural and religious institutions existing in the country since times immemorial, which in turn reflects irreparable damages caused by the acts of the convict to the heritage of this ancient land."


"It took the judge just a minute to pronounce the quantum of sentence," a CBI counsel said.


Media reports said Ram Rahim broke down and begged for forgiveness with folded hands when the sentence was passed. He then refused to leave the court room, in the jail library.


He had to be forcibly taken away by jail wardens to his barrack even as his lawyers tried to seek leniency in prison rules for the Dera chief.


Meanwhile, there was no immediate reports of violence today from Sirsa.


"There was no report of any untoward incident," IAS officer V Umashankar said, as per PTI.


Speaking to reporters, he said from the day of Ram Rahim's conviction by a court in Panchkula on August 25, the state authorities had worked to ensure that the violent mob doesn't move towards Sirsa where the Dera is headquartered.



He also said that the district authorities had ordered attachment of the Sirsa-based Dera's accounts and compensation to those affected in the violence could be given from these.


Umashankar is presently posted as the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), but has been assigned special duty to assist the Sirsa administration, which is on a high alert keeping in view the Dera chief's conviction.


IG (Hisar), AS Dhillon, added that maintaining law and order was the top priority of the police and administration.


"We have registered criminal cases in violence and nobody will be spared. Presently our priority is to maintain law and order," he said.


More than 30 people were killed and hundreds injured on Friday in Haryana and Punjab, which saw widespread violence by Ram Rahim's followers after his conviction. 


The case was registered by the CBI in December 2002 on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.


The CBI filed the chargesheet against the Dera head in Ambala court in July 2007. The chargesheet mentions sexual exploitation of two 'sadhvis' (women followers) between 1999 and 2001.


The special CBI court framed charges against Ram Rahim under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC in September 2008. Between 2009 and 2010, the two complainants recorded their statements before the court.


The special CBI court shifted from Ambala to Panchkula and the case against Dera chief was also transferred to Panchkula CBI court.


In July 2017, the court ordered daily hearing and arguments of prosecution and defence were concluded on August 17, 2017.


(With Agency inputs)