Punjab, Haryana on alert as Dera chief gets 20 years

The chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana held emergency security review meetings and the Army conducted a flag march in Panchkula on Monday as reports of unrest trickled in after a special CBI court sentenced godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to 20 years in prison after his conviction in two rape cases.

CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh pronounced two sentences of 10 years rigorous imprisonment in each of the two cases that date back to 2002, the defence lawyer said. He said both sentences will run consecutively.

Singh also fined Ram Rahim ₹15 lakh in each of the two cases, of which ₹14 lakh each would go to the two victims who were part of his sect and were coerced into having sex with him.

The defence counsel said he will appeal against the orders in a High Court.

Last week, Ram Rahim was convicted of the rape of two women disciples in his ashram.

CBI judge Jagdeep Singh had to be flown in by a special chopper to Sunaria jail in Rohtak where a special courtroom was set up for the sentencing of Ram Rahim.

The high-profile godman, who has millions of followers and counts politicians as well as celebrities as his friends, sat on the floor and wept as the sentence was pronounced by the judge. He had been convicted under Sections 376 and 506 of the IPC on the charge that he had sexually abused and exploited two of his women followers residing in a hostel located on the premises of the Dera Sacha Sauda, the powerful Dalit Sikh sect he heads, in Sirsa, Haryana. The colourful Ram Rahim, who has produced two movies starring himself in the lead role, has also been accused of murder and mass castrations of his male followers.

But his followers remain devoted to their Guru, weeping as a three-tier security cover was thrown over Haryana to prevent a repeat of the violence that erupted during his conviction on August 25. Rioting by his supporters following Ram Rahim’s conviction for rape left 30 people dead and 200 injured, besides widespread rioting and arson throughout Haryana and some parts of Punjab.

The Dera Sacha Sauda has been assiduously wooed for votes by the BJP in the run-up to Assembly elections in the State.

The governments in Haryana and at the Centre had come under sharp criticism from the High Court for “politically surrendering” to lakhs of Dera supporters. A full bench of acting Chief Justice SS Saton and justices Surya Kant and Avneesh Jhingan even commented that the “Prime Minister is of the nation and not the BJP”, while maintaining that the Centre’s response to the violence was “only a knee-jerk reaction”.

The comparative peace in Punjab where Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has sternly dealt with the Dera supporters and the violence in Haryana has led to political demands for the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s resignation.

The BJP, however, has stood its ground and refused to sack Khattar, with its general secretary in-charge of Haryana, Anil Jain, asserting that there was no lapse on the part of the State government and that there was “no consideration” of sacking the CM.

The Congress sought to draw attention to the BJP’s “stunning arrogance and mulish obstinacy” in the face of “unprecedented strictures by the Punjab and Haryana High Court”.

“The callous insensitivity of the Centre and the Haryana government is only complemented by the mulish obstinacy in the face of the most unprecedented strictures against them by the High Court. In any responsible, sensitive form of democratic government, comments, not strictures, of far less severity than that of the High Court would have led to apologies, resignations and complete, unconditional acceptance. Here it has had the opposite effect,” said party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

“Because of worldwide condemnation and the High Court strictures, the reverse seems to have happened in that there is a hardening of position by the BJP. There is an increase in arrogance. Because we have the temerity to ask for Constitutional resolution of the situation and the resignation of those occupying Constitutional posts, the reaction is on the contrary – that they have gained their continuation in power. The words of the High Court are unprecedented, not in recent History can I recall such unambiguous strictures roping in the CM but also the PM. No CM or PM has suffered these comments a Constitutional functionary. But the BJP is digging in its heels. It is shocking,” said the Congress leader.