Insta
Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh (Waseem Gashroo/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
A Central Bureau of Investigation court in Panchkula today (25 August) found Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty in a rape case. He now faces up to seven years in jail.
Singh was accused of repeatedly raping a former follower inside the Dera campus near Sirsa in Haryana in 1999. An FIR was registered in 2002.
Singh and the management of the sect have denied the allegations all throughout.
Punjab and Haryana have been put on high alert after Singh’s followers threatened violence. Uttar Pradesh has reportedly sealed its borders with Haryana to prevent escalation of violence, reports Dainik Jagran.
A curfew has been imposed in Panchkula, Haryana, following instances of violence.
Ahead of the court’s ruling, all rail services to Jammu were suspended, reports The Hindu.
Singh’s followers reportedly vandalised vans belonging to private news channels. The centre has sent in 167 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force at the request of the Haryana government.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest