Gurmeet Ram Rahim Case LIVE: Dera Chief Sentenced to 20 Years, Not 10, For Rape

Mobile Internet services will remain suspended in “sensitive” parts of Haryana till Wednesday to prevent any disturbance following the sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. While mobile Internet services will be restored in other parts, it will continue to remain suspended till 12pm on Wednesday in seven districts of Haryana, considered as “sensitive”, officials said on day.

The seven districts are Ambala, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Jind, Hisar and Kaithal. Authorities had last week suspended services to prevent spread of rumours ahead of the court appearance ofthe Dera chief.

Since the Dera chief has now been convicted and sentenced to 20 years in jail, the big question that looms large is who will succeed Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh?

The Dera successor has traditionally been decided by the Dera head. Even though Gurmeet Ram Rahim is behind bars, he is the one who will decide the successor even if he does so from the jail. He has complete authority to do so. While a potential frontrunner could be the Dera management chairperson Vipassana Insan, it could also be Dr. PR Nain Insan senior vice chairperson of the Dera. Gurmeet Ram Rahim's two daughters - Charanpreet Insan and Marpreet Insan - in addition to son Jasmeet Singh Insan, could also be contenders. Traditionally, the Gaddi or the chair has not gone to an immediate family member. The Dera chiefs adopted daughter Honeypreet, who is considered close to Ram Rahim, is another front-runner.

CBI Spokesperson Abhishek Dayal has also confirmed that the Dera chief will be serving 20 years in prison. The sentences to run consecutively. 

Clarification: There was confusion, earlier, because it was not clear if the Dera chief will serve his sentences concurrently or consecutively. 

Here's the explanation of two legal terms:

Concurrent sentences: When sentences run concurrently, defendants serve all the sentences at the same time.

Consecutive sentences: When sentences run consecutively, defendants have to finish serving the sentence for one offense before they start serving the sentence for any other offense. 

S K Garg, Gurmeet Ram Rahim's lawyer, has just confirmed that the terms will run consecutively and not concurrently. The Dera chief will serve two separate jail terms of 10 years each. He will be paying a fine of Rs 29 lakh now. 

Correction: Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh sentenced to 20 years in jail, 10 years each for raping two women over a period of time.

We will read the judgement in detail & will definitely appeal in higher courts: #RamRahimSingh's lawyer pic.twitter.com/nthGSKJekP

— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2017

#Haryana Security arrangements in #Sirsa post sentencing of #RamRahimSingh pic.twitter.com/AlKbBQSI41

— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2017

Why just 10-year imprisonment to Gurmeet Ram Rahim?

Singh was charged under the Indian Penal Code since the offence pertained to an act committed prior to coming into force of the Prevention of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which was notified in February 2013.

Under Sections 375 and 376, the minimum punishment that could have been awarded to Singh was seven years, and he got 10 years in jail. 

The CBI judge, therefore, exercised his discretion to raise Singh's jail term to 10 years from an otherwise minimum of seven years. 

Reacting to 10-year imprisonment awarded to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Baba Ramdev said that court had set an example that no one can escape the law. 

Meanwhile, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said that his government will continue curfew at one or two places before reviewing the situation tomorrow. "Mobile internet services will be restored tomorrow."

Anshul Chhatrapati, son of the slain journalist who blew the lid on Dera Sacha Sauda chief, said that the CBI court's verdict was satisfactory. "We have been saying since long that Ram Rahim Singh is an enemy of our society."

Satisfactory; been saying since long #RamRahimSingh is enemy of our society: Anshul Chhatrapati, son of slain journalist who exposed Dera pic.twitter.com/92dsZ1jly0

— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2017

CBI Court to jail officials: Give jail uniform to convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. He will not be allowed to carry his personal clothes.

Army conducts a flag march in Sirsa after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh get 10-years in prison for rape.

CBI court judge's strict instructions to jail authorities: Rape convicts are not supposed to get any special facilities and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh should be treated as an ordinary prisoner.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim being forcefully taken inside Rohtak jail premises, as CMO Dr Deepa rules out the need for any leniency on medical grounds.

Breakdown of Rs 65,000 fine | Rs 50,000 for rape; Rs 10,000 for attempt to murder and Rs 5,000 for criminal intimidation.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh creates high-voltage drama outside court, says, "I need urgent medical help and the state will be responsible if anything happens to me." After this, CMO Dr Deepa conducts another round of medical checkups on the Dera Sacha Sauda chief.

The CBI Court in its judgment has said that Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will be treated as any other 'ordinary' convict and will not be provided special amenities or an attendant.

According to intelligence sources, the focus will now shift to Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa, where more than 20,000 supporters are camping. Fears are that some of them might be armed.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar calls for an emergency meeting in the wake of 10-year sentencing to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and DGP will attend the meeting.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim's lawyer says, "The court gave him minimum punishment because no one can take away, the good work that he has done." The lawyer also added that he will move Punjab and Haryana High Court for relief.

In tears, rape convict Ram Rahim complaints of severe uneasiness, ambulance rushed inside jail premises.

Apart from 10-years in Jail, Rs 65,000 fine on Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. He is still not cooperating with security personnel and is seen holding his chair, howling, in high-voltage drama.

In tears, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh sits on the floor outside courtroom, cops drag him away after he refuses to follow the rules.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim bawling outside the court, he’s not cooperating with security personnel, who have warned him that if he doesn’t follow the rules, he will be taken inside the jail forcefully.

(2/2) There is a scare that the roughly 20,000 Dera followers have gathered or are present in Rohtak and might try to congregate at one place. Keeping that in mind, all Dera offices have been sealed and check posts are being set up at almost every major traffic intersection | Mobile internet services will remain suspended in Haryana and Punjab till 11:30 am on Tuesday. Internet leased lines on the premises of the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters at Sirsa will also be suspended till then, officials said | Neighbouring areas of Panchkula, Sirsa, UP have been put on high alert. Section 144 already in place in some districts, curfew continues in Sirsa | Many areas saw forces carrying out flag marches and kept vigil in sensitive areas | Delhi Police, on its part, rubbished reports of traffic divergence and shutting of schools.

Dera Chief Ram Rahim gets 10 years in jail. Here's what you need to know:

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was on Monday sentenced to 10 years in jail by a special court near Rohtak, Haryana | CBI special court judge Jagdeep Singh, who had last week held Ram Rahim guilty of rape of two of his female followers in 2002, was flown to Rohtak to pronounce the quantum of sentence | Rohtak has been turned into a fortress by paramilitary forces and the Haryana Police. The Army has been kept on standby. Navdeep Singh Virk, IGP Rohtak Range was quoted as saying that no Dera follower has been allowed to enter Rohtak district or around the jail | Barbed wire barriers are in place and residents have been asked to stay indoors in Rohtak | Home Secretary Ram Nivas told News18, “Thirty fresh companies of central paramilitary forces have been pressed into service in Rohtak ahead of the verdict”. This is over and above the security forces that were already present. (1/2)

CBI court sentences Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to 10 years in jail for rape.

Dera Sacha Sauda chairperson and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's daughter Vipassana Insan appeals supporters to maintain peace.

Journalists told to be on standby as a copy of the judgment is being brought for the announcement, outside the court. Extra forces deployed outside the court.