A special CBI court is likely to pronounce the quantum of punishment for Gurmeet Ram Rahim, chief of Dera Sacha Sauda in a murder case today
A special CBI court is likely to pronounce the quantum of punishment for Gurmeet Ram Rahim, chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, and four others in the murder case of Dera chief's former manager Ranjit Singh in 2002. Ram Rahim along with four others was convicted on October 8.
In Haryana's Panchkula, Section 144 of the Code for Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has been imposed ahead of the sentencing. This comes after violence happened in August 2017 in which 36 people were killed after the Dera Sacha Sauda chief was convicted in a rape case.
The Central Bureau of Investigation sought a death sentence for Ram Rahim at the last hearing, the Dera chief pleaded for mercy via video conference from jail. He is currently in Rohtak jail serving a 20-year-term for raping two followers.
While pleading for mercy, the Dera chief highlighted social works done by him and the sect, like blood donation, eye check-up camps, and also cited health problems, including eye and kidney ailments, blood pressure.
However, the CBI opposed his plea, saying Ram Rahim treated himself as God. Seeking "maximum punishment" under the IPC Section 302, the CBI said the Dera chief has committed offences in a cold-blooded manner without provocation and he had criminal antecedents.
Ram Rahim's former manager, Singh was shot dead in 2002. Singh, who was also a follower of the sect, was reportedly murdered for his role in the circulation of an anonymous letter that stated how women were sexually exploited by the Dera chief.
The Dera chief believed that Singh was behind the circulation of the letter, the CBI has stated in its charge sheet, adding that he then hatched a conspiracy to kill him.
The four other people convicted in the murder case of Ranjit Singh are Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, Avtar Singh, and Sabdil.
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