NEW DELHI, August 28: A special CBI court on Monday sentenced Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. The dera chief was convicted of rape on August 25.

Earlier in the day, CBI judge Jagdeep Singh was flown in a helicopter to Sunaria Jail, where a special court room was set up for pronouncing the quantum of sentence in a rape case.

A three-tier security ring has been installed around Rohtak’s Sunaria district jail. The administration has issued a stern warning and is keeping vigil in the states of Haryana, Punjab and Delhi ahead of the announcement of sentence keeping in mind the violence that broke out after the verdict was announced where 38 people were killed. 

The judge awarded the 10-year jail term after hearing arguments on the quantum of sentence by prosecution and defense lawyers.

The special courtroom within the jail was set up on the instructions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Haryana and Punjab remained on high alert with officials warning that violent miscreants will be shot at sight, describing the security situation as "challenging."

The CBI filed the charge sheet against the Dera head in Ambala court in July 2007 about five years after the registration of the rape case. The charge sheet mentions sexual exploitation of two 'Sadhvis' (women followers) between 1999 and 2001.

 
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