A special CBI court here today reserved its verdict in an alleged rape of a 'sadhvi' by Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The court said that it will pronounce the judgement on August 25, besides directing Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to be present in the court on the verdict day.
Earlier, lawyers of the both sides concluded their arguments in the Panchkula court. The court has been hearing the case against Singh for the last few years.
The authorities in Punjab and Haryana were yesterday asked the police in both states to be on alert ahead of a special CBI court's verdict in the case. Both states said that the police had been asked to prepare for the situation if the CBI court gives an adverse verdict against the sect chief.
The sect chief has been accused by a former female follower of raping her more than once inside the sprawling Dera campus on the outskirts of Sirsa town in Haryana, 260 km from Chandigarh. The CBI investigated the matter against the self-styled godman. The sect management has been refuting all charges against Singh.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim is accused of raping two women followers inside the dera premises. He is also the prime accused in a case involving the murder of his follower Ranjit Singh and a journalist, Ram Chander Chhatarpati, and is facing trial in the same special CBI court.
An Ambala court of the special CBI judge in 2008 had framed charges against the dera chief for alleged sexual exploitation of the sadhvis. The dera management had been vehemently refuting all these charges.
