Self-styled godman and Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan has been convicted of raping two women by the CBI court in Panchkula. Haryana and Punjab police are on high alert and security personnel have been deployed at sensitive spots. The army has been called in to monitor the situation in and around Panchkula, where thousands of Dera followers have assembled ahead of the verdict.
Followers of Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh have started gathering in large numbers in Panchkula, ahead of the CBI court's verdict in a rape case against him, scheduled for 25 August. Over 40,000 followers of the controversial godman have gathered at Naam Charcha Ghar in Sector 23 of Panchkula. The Chandigarh police have announced that the Chandigarh Cricket Stadium will be converted into a “temporary jail” on the date of the hearing, and will be used to detain unruly Dera followers. The case pertains to 2002, when the CBI sexual exploitation case was registered against the head of the sect, which is based in Sirsa in Haryana, in 2002 by the CBI on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court after anonymous letters were circulated about the alleged exploitation of two ‘Sadhvis’ (female followers) by Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The Dera Chief has denied these charges.
