Rapist guru skips dinner in prison

rohtak — Convicted Dera Sacha Sauda sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh did not have food on Monday night in the Sunaria jail in Rohtak after he was sentenced to 20-year jail for raping two of his followers, a prison official said on Tuesday.

The 50-year-old-self-styled guru drank only some water during the night and took milk in the morning, the official said.

Ram Rahim did not talk with anyone and was seen roaming in the cell. The Dera sect chief has been kept in the approval cell at Sunaria jail in Rohtak.

A special CBI court on Monday sentenced Ram Rahim Singh to 20 years in jail for rape of his two followers, holding he acted like a “wild beast” who did not even spare his own “pious” female disciples. Judge Jagdeep Singh in his 9-page order had pronounced two sentences of 10 years rigorous imprisonment in each of the two rapes that date back to 2002. A fine of Rs1.5 million in each case was also imposed.

Meanwhile, authorities in Sirsa relaxed curfew in the town limits on Tuesday although the area around the Dera Sacha Sauda sect headquarters on the outskirts remained tense. The curfew relaxation, from 7am to 7pm, was announced in view of no incident being reported from Sirsa, 260km from here, in the past 24 hours.

The curfew restrictions, however, continued near the sect headquarters, about eight kilometre from the town.

Security forces, including the Army, paramilitary and Haryana Police, continued to be stationed around the 700-acre sprawling Dera headquarters campus.

Officials said the campus still has around 15,000 people inside.

While 10,000-12,000 people live inside the campus — which is a mini-town in itself with houses, schools, colleges, hospitals, stadium and other infrastructure; about 2,000-3,000 Dera followers were also still inside as per estimates of the security establishment.

Authorities on Tuesday got 18 minor girls taken out from the sect headquarters to undergo a medical examination. “At present, these girls are under the supervision of a Child Protection Officer and, later they would be sent to child protection institutes being run at different places,” Sirsa Deputy Commissioner Prabhjot Singh said. — PTI,