Spiritual group leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh sentenced to 20 years jail and fined Rs. 30 Lakh (3 million); More on Dera Sacha Sauda
Note that some of the articles below mention the jail sentence as 10 years. That seems to be a mistake. There are two jail sentences of 10 years each for the two rape cases Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of, which the court said will NOT run concurrently. So that makes it 20 years jail for the 50 year old Singh. Further, both rape victims are to be paid Rs. 15 Lakh (Rs. 1.5 million) each by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
The lawyer for Singh has said that they will appeal the verdict in the High Court.
Singh is said to have been devastated by the sentence. He sought mercy from the judge (but that did not seem to make any difference). Eventually he is said to have shouted that he should be saved (from the authorities). So it seems there was a lot of drama when the sentence was given.
Heavy security, preventive arrests and shoot-at-sight orders (at those Dera followers who commit violence) in Rohtak where the sentence was pronounced seems to have ensured no reports of violence there. Elsewhere too in Haryana and Punjab, it seems to have been largely peaceful today (after the sentencing).
The Dera HQ seems to have been steadily evacuated of its followers. One of the reports below - the video in entry no. 9 if I recall correctly - mentions that (only) 10,000 followers remain in the Dera HQ in Sirsa. Reports yesterday gave a figure of 100,000 (ten times more) followers lodged in the Dera HQ.
Given below are some articles related to this matter.
1) Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh gets 20 years in jail, his sect home starts emptying, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/dera-chief-gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-gets-20-years-in-jail-his-sect-home-starts-emptying-4818023/
2) When 'god of politicians' pleaded for mercy before the judge!, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/when-god-pleaded-for-mercy-before-the-judge/articleshow/60260908.cms
3) ‘Koi mujhe bacha lo’: High drama inside courtroom as convicted rapist Gurmeet Ram Rahim pleads for mercy, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-10-years-jail-rape-conviction-rohtak-jail-haryana-high-drama-cbi-court-4817421/
4) Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh sentenced to 20 yrs jail: Happy, court proved it today, says son of journalist who was killed by Dera followers, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-sentenced-to-10-yrs-jail-happy-court-proved-it-today-says-son-of-sirsa-slain-journalist-4817636/
This article has the reaction of the son of a journalist who had first printed the allegations of rape against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and who was killed seemingly for having done so with the killers allegedly being associated with the Dera. The son is reported to have said, "I welcome the quantum of sentence to Dera chief by the court. The court has unmasked the fraud seer. My father’s struggle against him has become fruitful today". Note that that murder case is a separate case whose hearings are going on. [Here's a video prior to this sentencing, of the son speaking to media giving details of what his journalist father exposed and how his father was killed, in Hindi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OBHrb0YHGs, 2 min. 27 secs.]
5) Live: Ram Rahim Singh sentenced to 20 years in jail by CBI court, Sirsa peaceful, http://www.livemint.com/Politics/cXFKl0ZiqkOcKJbNrHQBZJ/Ram-Rahim-Singh-sentencing-LIVE-CBI-court-judge-to-reach-Ro.html
6) Gurmeet Ram Rahim and Dera premis: Liberal atmosphere, equality reason behind increasing number of followers, http://www.firstpost.com/india/gurmeet-ram-rahim-and-dera-premis-liberal-atmosphere-equality-reason-behind-increasing-number-of-followers-3980941.html.
The above article tries to give the reasons why Deras are having large number of followers.
7) Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Sentenced to 20 Years in Jail for Rape, Fined Rs 30 lakh, https://thewire.in/171503/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-sentence/
The above article has an explosive extract claimed to be from the anonymous letter that started the case.
8) Why Do People Go to the Dera?, https://thewire.in/171190/punjab-dera-communty-gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh/
Subtitle: "Apart from the mythic value and the personal charismatic appeal of the babas, deras in Punjab also offer a sense of security to their followers."
The above article is by a Professor of sociology of an Indian university.
9) Video: Army Evacuating Dera Headquarter In Sirsa, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_unspYINMwM, 11 min. 41 secs, published by India Today.
The lawyer for Singh has said that they will appeal the verdict in the High Court.
Singh is said to have been devastated by the sentence. He sought mercy from the judge (but that did not seem to make any difference). Eventually he is said to have shouted that he should be saved (from the authorities). So it seems there was a lot of drama when the sentence was given.
Heavy security, preventive arrests and shoot-at-sight orders (at those Dera followers who commit violence) in Rohtak where the sentence was pronounced seems to have ensured no reports of violence there. Elsewhere too in Haryana and Punjab, it seems to have been largely peaceful today (after the sentencing).
The Dera HQ seems to have been steadily evacuated of its followers. One of the reports below - the video in entry no. 9 if I recall correctly - mentions that (only) 10,000 followers remain in the Dera HQ in Sirsa. Reports yesterday gave a figure of 100,000 (ten times more) followers lodged in the Dera HQ.
Given below are some articles related to this matter.
1) Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh gets 20 years in jail, his sect home starts emptying, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/dera-chief-gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-gets-20-years-in-jail-his-sect-home-starts-emptying-4818023/
2) When 'god of politicians' pleaded for mercy before the judge!, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/when-god-pleaded-for-mercy-before-the-judge/articleshow/60260908.cms
3) ‘Koi mujhe bacha lo’: High drama inside courtroom as convicted rapist Gurmeet Ram Rahim pleads for mercy, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-10-years-jail-rape-conviction-rohtak-jail-haryana-high-drama-cbi-court-4817421/
4) Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh sentenced to 20 yrs jail: Happy, court proved it today, says son of journalist who was killed by Dera followers, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-sentenced-to-10-yrs-jail-happy-court-proved-it-today-says-son-of-sirsa-slain-journalist-4817636/
This article has the reaction of the son of a journalist who had first printed the allegations of rape against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and who was killed seemingly for having done so with the killers allegedly being associated with the Dera. The son is reported to have said, "I welcome the quantum of sentence to Dera chief by the court. The court has unmasked the fraud seer. My father’s struggle against him has become fruitful today". Note that that murder case is a separate case whose hearings are going on. [Here's a video prior to this sentencing, of the son speaking to media giving details of what his journalist father exposed and how his father was killed, in Hindi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OBHrb0YHGs, 2 min. 27 secs.]
5) Live: Ram Rahim Singh sentenced to 20 years in jail by CBI court, Sirsa peaceful, http://www.livemint.com/Politics/cXFKl0ZiqkOcKJbNrHQBZJ/Ram-Rahim-Singh-sentencing-LIVE-CBI-court-judge-to-reach-Ro.html
6) Gurmeet Ram Rahim and Dera premis: Liberal atmosphere, equality reason behind increasing number of followers, http://www.firstpost.com/india/gurmeet-ram-rahim-and-dera-premis-liberal-atmosphere-equality-reason-behind-increasing-number-of-followers-3980941.html.
The above article tries to give the reasons why Deras are having large number of followers.
7) Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Sentenced to 20 Years in Jail for Rape, Fined Rs 30 lakh, https://thewire.in/171503/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-sentence/
The above article has an explosive extract claimed to be from the anonymous letter that started the case.
8) Why Do People Go to the Dera?, https://thewire.in/171190/punjab-dera-communty-gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh/
Subtitle: "Apart from the mythic value and the personal charismatic appeal of the babas, deras in Punjab also offer a sense of security to their followers."
The above article is by a Professor of sociology of an Indian university.
9) Video: Army Evacuating Dera Headquarter In Sirsa, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_unspYINMwM, 11 min. 41 secs, published by India Today.
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