Self-proclaimed guru Ram Rahim Singh will serve 10 years in jail for repeatedly raping two of his female followers for years. The case was filed 15 years ago in 2002.
The 50-year-old reportedly wept as the Judge Jagdeep Singh read out his sentence. A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court decided the quantum of his sentence today in Rohtak Haryana by. It is said, now his lawyers will challenge the verdict in High Court. However, the CBI has called the Ram Rahim rape case a rarest of rare case. Before being transported to jail Singh will be medically examined since he is complaining of chest pain.
The court has said that he will be treated as any other convict, and will not be given special amenities.
His followers are not going to be allowed within 10 km of the prison. When the leader of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect was convicted on Friday, lakhs of his followers who had gathered in Panchkula took to violence. The protests left 38 people dead and over 200 injured.
Thousands of paramilitary troops and anti-riot police have blocked roads in the area. Barbed wire barriers have been erected and senior members of the sect are placed under detention.
Here are some reactions from social media after the verdicts:
https://twitter.com/AdvaitaKala/status/902112831918587904
Singh is the head of the spiritual sect Dera Sacha Sauda which was established by Mastaa Balochistani in 1948. It has over 46 ashrams all over the country, and has its base in the Sirsa district of Haryana.
The sect claims 50 million followers across the world, including Dalits, and backwards classes. A huge percentage of them are women.
He has also worked as actor, director, music composer and writer on several films including highly successful “MSG: The Messenger Trilogy.” Also he makes music, and has recorded under Universal label and his albums have sold millions of copies and he has performed at over 100 rock shows.
Also Read: Ram Rahim Singh Found Guilty of Rape
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