Panchkula: A Special Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) Court in Punchkula has sentenced Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who was convicted of conspiring to murder his former manager Ranjit Singh in 2002, to life imprisonment.
Four others along with Ram Rahim were sentenced by the court to life imprisonment– Jasbir Singh, Sabdil Singh, Krishan Lal and Inder Sain.
While the prosecution had completed its arguments on the last date of hearing on October 12 and demanded capital punishment, the court had deferred the hearing after the defence council requested time for rebuttal arguments.
Ram Rahim is already serving a rape sentence at the district jail of Sunaria in Rohtak, was convicted in the Ranjit Singh case by the special CBI court on October 8 along with the four co-accused, Avtar Singh, Sabdil Singh, Krishan Lal and Jasbir Singh. A fine of Rs 35 lakh, half of which will go to the victim’s son, has also been levied on Ram Rahim.
The court had reserved the order in the case on August 18. It was supposed to be pronounced on August 26 but had been pending owing to Ranjit Singh’s son Jagseer Singh filing a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking transfer of the case to another CBI judge.
In the last hearing, Ram Rahim, in an eight-page statement submitted to the court, had requested leniency, saying his “philanthropic work” over the years has been exceptional and that crores of followers who now live at the Dera have become his family.
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