CBI judge reaches Rohtak to pronounce quantum of sentence

Rohtak : The judge of the CBI court in Panchkula was today flown in a chopper to Sunaria Jail here to pronounce the quantum of sentence against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who has been found guilty of rape.

Judge Jagdeep Singh will pronounce the sentence against the 50-year-old sect head in a special court room within the Sunaria jail complex, which lies on the outskirts of the city, amid tight security. Before pronouncing the sentence, he will hear arguments on the quantum from both sides. “The chopper carrying the honourable judge has reached Sunaria,” Rohtak’s Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramesh Kumar said over phone.

The helicopter took off from Chandigarh in the afternoon. “A special courtroom has been made on the instructions of the high court within the jail and proceedings will be carried out there, which are expected to be conducted at around 2:30 pm,” Rohtak Range IG, Navdeep Singh Virk had said. The Dera chief was convicted by the CBI court in Panchkula on Friday in the 15-year old rape case. After his conviction, the sect followers went berserk in Panchkula and Sirsa leaving 38 people dead and over 260 injured.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier ordered the Haryana government to make arrangements at the district jail in Sunaria in Rohtak for the judge of special CBI court to pronounce the quantum of sentence. The high court had directed that necessary arrangements be made for the security and safe transport by air of the judicial officer and two of his staff members.

The HC had notified the district jail at Sunaria in Rohtak “as a place of sitting of CBI court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Panchkula for the purpose of hearing on the quantum of sentence and pronouncement of the sentence in respect of the case titled as CBI versus Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.”
The CBI judge, while holding the Dera chief guilty of raping a female follower more than 15 years ago, had on Friday last said that the quantum of sentence would be pronounced today.