ROHTAK: A special CBI court on Monday sentenced Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to 10 years in prison after his conviction in a 2002 rape case that triggered violence leaving 38 dead and scores injured in Haryana.

  • CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh, who holds the court in Panchkula, near Chandigarh, pronounced the sentence in a special courtroom set up inside the Sunaria jail where Ram Rahim, the 50-year-old self-styled godman, is lodged since last Friday after he was convicted.

  • The judge was brought to Rohtak by a chopper from Chandigarh and landed in a helipad near the jail located on the outskirts of Rohtak.

  • The judge awarded the 10-year jail term after hearing arguments on the quantum of sentence by prosecution and defence lawyers.

  • The special courtroom within the jail was set up on the instructions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

  • When the judge was pronouncing the sentence, Ram Rahim sat on the floor of the courtroom and started crying after which the jail warden and prison staff rapped him.

  • He pleaded forgiveness stating that his earlier record as a social worker should be taken into consideration. His lawyer told the court his client is social worker and has taken part in clean India and blood donation campaign actively. The court had rejected Ram Rahim's demand.

  • The high court had notified district jail at Sunaria as a place of sitting of CBI court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Panchkula for the purpose of hearing on the quantum of sentence and pronouncement of the sentence.

  • A multi-layer security cordon manned by police and 23 companies of paramilitary forces was thrown in and around Rohtak and also around the jail. The Army has been kept on standby while all routes to the jail were sealed.

  • Haryana and Punjab remained on high alert with officials warning that violent miscreants will be shot at sight, describing the security situation as "challenging."

  • The special CBI court of judge Jagdeep Singh in Panchkula last Friday held Ram Rahim guilty of rape in a case that was registered on the basis of an anonymous written complaint in April 2002 that he had sexually exploited two female followers. 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 about five years after the registration of the rape case. 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.