Quantum Of Sentence In Dera Chief Rape Case To Be Pronounced Tomorrow

Chandigarh: A multi-layer security cordon has been thrown around the Rohtak district jail where the CBI special court judge will be flown to pronounce the quantum of sentence against convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh tomorrow.

Ahead of the pronouncement of the sentence, police have left nothing to chance and have taken important functionaries of the sect, who could gather followers, into preventive custody.

Sunaria jail lies on outskirts of Rohtak city and several security barricades have been set up along the route leading to the prison complex, police said.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had yesterday ordered the Haryana government to make necessary arrangements at the district jail in Sunaria in Rohtak for the judge to pronounce the quantum of sentence for convicted sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the rape case.

50-year-old Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been lodged in the Sunaira jail after his conviction by the special CBI court in Panchkula on Friday.

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Police and paramilitary forces were maintaining a strict vigil and various 'nakas' have been set up in entire Rohtak.

Rohtak Range IG Navdeep Virk, who has been taking stock of the security situation ahead of pronouncement of the quantum of sentence tomorrow, said today that "there has been a complete clampdown on Dera centres (Naam Charcha Ghars) and all important functionaries who could gather people have been put under preventive detention in the entire state".

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Mr Virk said that tight security arrangements have been made so that no untoward incident takes place after the sentence is pronounced by the court tomorrow.

Rohtak Deputy Commissioner, Atul Kumar, said the situation in the district was completely under control and the police and paramilitary forces were fully prepared to tackle any situation.

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Mr Kumar said every person entering Rohtak from outside was being checked at several places.

If during checking, any person fails to produce proof of identity or specify reason for visiting the district, then he would be taken into custody, he said in an official release.

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'Nakas' have been set up at borders of Rohtak district and the Duty Magistrate has also been deputed.

Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) prohibiting assembly of five or more persons, and carrying of firearms and other weapons is already in place in Rohtak.

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CBI judge Jagdeep Singh had held Ram Rahim, guilty of rape in a case that was registered on the basis of an anonymous written complaint in 2002 that he had sexually exploited two female followers.

Minutes after the sect head was convicted on Friday, his followers who had gathered in thousands over past few days in Panchkula, unleashed mayhem. 36 people died and over 250 were injured in the violence which broke out at Panchkula and Sirsa after Ram Rahim was convicted.

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.