Dera Sachha Sauda Chief Baba Ram Rahim Singh convicted of rape

A Special CBI Court in Chandigarh’s Panchkula district today convicted self-proclaimed godman and Chief of the Dera Sachha Sauda, Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of rape in a 2002 case. .The sentencing is due on August 28. Special CBI judge Jagdeep Singh ordered Ram Rahim to be taken into judicial custody immediately and lodged in Ambala jail..When the allegations of rape and sexual exploitation against Singh surfaced, his supporters had gone on a violent rampage in various parts of india, mainly Punjab..In anticipation of the violence , the Punjab & Haryana government had out in place a heavy security apparatus to ward off any trouble. Earlier, the Punjab & Haryana High Court asked the Dera’s lawyer SK Garg Narwana to convey to the sect’s followers not to indulge in any violence or breach of peace. The court also directed the police to use force if necessary to quell any acts of violence and asked officers to videograph the court proceedings and complex..Before the CBI court announced its verdict, Utsav Bains, the lawyer for the victims in the case, said that if there was an acquittal, the case would be shifted to another state..The area around the court has turned into a warzone, with Dera supporters violently protesting the decision. As per the latest reports, seven people have been killed in the ensuing riots, with around seventy injured.