TIL Desk Haryana/ Rohtak/ A CBI special court on Monday sentenced Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim to 10 years in prison for raping two ‘sadhvis’ or female followers 15 years ago. CBI judge Jagdeep Singh flew to Rohtak’s Sunaria jail via chopper to pronounce the quantum of sentence on Monday morning.
The defence lawyer, in his closing arguments, claimed that the Dera chief is a social worker who has works for the welfare of people, so the judge should take a lenient view and give him minimum sentence. The 50-year-old self-styled godman, also the lead actor of MSG film franchise was held guilty of raping two women followers inside the Dera premises on Friday afternoon.
Following the conviction, deadly riots ensued in Panchkula and surrounding areas, killing 38 and injuring over 250 people. The mob – consisting of Dera followers – set scores of vehicles, including private and government cars and media vans, on fire. Police and fire brigade vehicles were also set on fire. Several mediapersons were also injured in the incident.
Condemning the violence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ address to the nation on Sunday, said, “No one has the right to take the law into’s one’s own hands in the name of one’s beliefs, adding that I want to assure my countrymen that those who take law into their own hands and are on the path of violent suppression, whether it is a group or a person – neither this country nor any government will tolerate it.”
