Gurmeet was a favourite of his family, say friends back in village
The conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 rape of two women has shocked many of his childhood friends in his native village in Rajasthan.
Gurmeet was born on August 15, 1967, to a Jat Sikh family at Gursar Modia village in Sri Ganganagar district. His father, Magghar Singh, was a landlord. The only child of his parents, he was a favourite in the family and the neighbourhood, villagers said.
“He was always treated specially; he was an extraordinary kid for his parents who brought him up with all care. That’s why his conviction hurts us,” Gurmeet’s childhood friend, Suchha Singh, told HT.
Gurmeet was anointed Ram Rahim at the age of seven by then head of Dera Sacha Sauda, Satnam Singh. In 1990, Satnam announced him his successor in a ceremony. “Gurmeet was good at studies, sports and other activities. He did everything with great confidence and it reflects in his life and behaviour,” said Rajendra Chinpa, his classmate.
Ram Rahim last visited his native village six months ago when he was shooting his movie Hind Ka Napak Ko Jawab: MSG Lion Heart 2. In the film, he played the role of a spy, Sher-eHind, who launched surgical strikes on Pakistan.
At least 34 people were killed on Friday after his followers rampaged across Haryana and Punjab, clashing with police and setting fire to vehicles and railway stations to protest against his conviction. The flashy guru’s followers targeted vehicles and offices with sticks and stones, turning the streets of Panchkula into a virtual war zone. But people of Ram Rahim’s native village maintained peace.