Sukhbir hails court verdict on sect head

GURDASPUR: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, whose party was supported by the Dera Sacha Sauda in the Punjab assembly elections held in February this year, on Thursday hailed the CBI court verdict, sentencing sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to 20-year jail for raping two of his woman disciples.

“Guilty must be punished whoever he is,” said the former deputy chief minister, while addressing a press conference at Babbehali village, 5 km from here.

He also hailed the decision of the Punjab and Haryana high court to recover the losses caused to public properties after Ram Rahim’s conviction on August 25 from “those who were responsible for it”.

The law, under which the losses will be recovered by the high court, was introduced by the previous SAD-BJP government, he added.

‘CM HIDING PUNJAB ARSON INCIDENTS’

Lambasting the Captain Amarinder Singh government, he said the CM was hiding the facts about the incidents of arson that took place in Punjab after Ram Rahim’s conviction.

Sukhbir claimed that such incidents had taken place at Malout, Mansa and other places in which private and public properties were setvafire by the followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda.

He earlier distributed prizes to the winners on the concluding day of the three-day ‘Babbehali Chhinjh Mela.’

Guilty must be punished whoever he is... The law under which the losses will be recovered by the HC was introduced by the previous SADBJP government. SUKHBIR BADAL, SAD president