NEW DELHI: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh made headlines after he was convicted in rape cases by a special CBI court. He was later sentenced to 20 years in prison for the rape and sexual exploitation of two female disciples.

Now, an old picture of Ram Rahim has surfaced on social media. It's being claimed that it is a 28-year-old photo, when the now-jailed Dera chief was 22 years old. Ram Rahim, born in Ganganagar in Rajasthan, is seen in this picture with his wife and two children. He is wearing a white round neck T-shirt in this picture and sports short hair.

A message that went viral on social media with this photo claimed Ram Rahim was truck driver. However, this claim was proven false.

When asked about the photo, Teja Singh, a sewadar of Dera, said it's an old photo when Ram Rahim was just a player and not the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda.



The Dera Sacha Sauda was founded by Mastana Maharaj in Sirsa on April 29, 1948, "to encourage spiritual awakening among masses to uplift humanity and to create better world."

In 1960, Mastana Maharaj, who originally hailed from Baluchistan (Pakistan), handed over the reins of Dera to his successor Shah Satnam Singh.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was appointed as the third head of the Dera Sacha Sauda on September 23, 1990 at the age of 23.