New Delhi: The Punjab and Haryana High court has ordered that video footage of the premises of the special CBI court must be recorded to check if proper actions have been taken as lakhs thronged the area surrounding the special CBI court to support the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
The Special CBI Court in Panchkula on Friday convicted the self-styled Godman on charges of rape and criminal intimidation. The sentencing has been slotted for August 28.
The court has also said that the police and administration were free to use force to so that the situation is not out of control. The court has directed the police to keep video evidence of arson so that the culprits can be later identified.
The court came down heavily on the police administration earlier as to why section 144 was not imposed to prevent such an unlawful assembly.
After the verdict, Dera followers have gone on a rampage and several outdoor broadcast vans of media houses and journalists have been attacked. Over 1,50,000 ‘Messenger of God’ followers have thronged Panchkula to express their support for their ‘pitaji’. Curfew too has been imposed now.
In 2002, a sadhvi (a woman who partakes in activities of the Dera Sacha Sauda and often resides there) wrote an anonymous letter to Vajpayee, narrating her ordeal. She alleged that Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim had raped her and other sadhvis.
The trial commenced on September 6, 2008, and included charges of Section 376 (rape) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
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