Dera Sacha Sauda chief held guilty in rape case -Governance Now

Dera Sacha Sauda chief held guilty in rape case

A former follower had accused the dera chief of sexually assaulting her

GN Bureau | August 25, 2017

#Sirsa #sexually exploited #CBI #Gurmeet Ram Rahim #Dera Sacha Sauda #Haryana #Chandigarh

Self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, who heads Dera Sacha Sauda, was convicted on Friday in a rape case by a special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Haryana’s Panchkula town.

Ram Rahim, who was expected to fly to Panchkula, instead drove down in a luxury SUV on roads that were lined by his supporters who waved to him. He left his sprawling dera in Sirsa in a motorcade of over a 100 vehicles.

It had been a tense few days in Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab as the date for announcing the verdict neared. Ram Rahim’s followers had begun to pour into Panchkula since the past couple of days and they were camping in different sectors. It was estimated that nearly 2 lakh supporters had arrived ahead of the judgement.

The authorities were concerned that violence may break out after the verdict due to which Panchkula had been turned into a virtual garrison town.

The police and the para military troopers patrolled the area. The army too was called in to ensure that law and order was maintained.

The railways on Friday cancelled over 200 Haryana-bound trains.

Ram Rahim has been accused of sexually exploiting two women at the Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa, which is about 250 km from Haryana capital Chandigarh.

The CBI had lodged the FIR against him in 2002. The action had been initiated after an anonymous letter addressed to then prime minister, purportedly written by a sadhvi, came to light. The sadhvi alleged that she and other sadhvis were raped. She had also sought an inquiry.

Ram Rahim steadfastly maintained that he is innocent.

The self-styled godman has a massive following and has also acted in two movies.

Comments

Other News

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Modi inaugurates, lays foundation stone of Pune Metro projects

Prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for Pune Metro projects worth around ₹21,800 crore on Tuesday through video conferencing. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the PM extended warm Diwali greetings to the people of Pune and Maharashtra and remarked that f

Wired for good: Building sustainable cities with AI

The First Industrial Revolution in the 18th-19th centuries ushered in a paradigm shift in how cities were imagined. Fueled by railways, factories and grids, and obsessed with speed and scale, it was an ode to efficiency, which spurred unprecedented economic growth. Now, as the Fourth Industrial Revolutio