A special CBI court in Panchkula will pronounce the sentence on Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and three others in the journalist murder case through video conferencing on Thursday.
The CBI court had convicted the self-styled Godman and three others -- Kuldeep Singh, Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal -- in the murder case of Sirsa based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati on January 11.
The court on Wednesday allowed authorities in Haryana to produce convicted Ram Rahim through video conferencing for the pronouncement of quantum of sentence for the murder case, The State Government had filed the plea on Tuesday, citing that the movement of Dera chief could lead to law and order situation.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is currently serving a 20-year prison term in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail for raping two of his women followers.
Krishan Lal, a former manager of the sect, Kuldeep and Nirmal, who were both carpenters and followers of the sect, who were convicted with Ram Rahim, have been lodged in the Ambala jail.’
Special CBI Court Judge Jagdeep Singh had on January 11 convicted Ram Rahim and his three aides in the murder case. The same CBI judge had convicted the sect chief on two counts of rape on August 25, 2017 and sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.
On January 11 also, Ram Rahim had appeared before the court through video conferencing from the Sunaria prison near Rohtak in view of security concerns raised by the Haryana Police and the State Government. The other three convicts had appeared in person at the Panchkula court.
All the four were convicted under Section 302 (murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal were also convicted under the Arms Act.
Journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati was shot at in October 2002 after a newspaper owned by him, published an anonymous letter narrating how women were being sexually exploited by the sect head at the Dera headquarters.
Meanwhile, Security was beefed up in Rohtak, Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana and some parts of Punjab. Security was increased around the sect's headquarters campus on the outskirts of Sirsa town.
In August 2017, Ram Rahim’s conviction had led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving more than 41 people dead and over 260 injured.