Dera chief Ram Rahim reaches Panchkula for court verdict

Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has arrived in Panchkula to present himself before a special CBI court which is set to pronounce verdict in the 15-year old sexual exploitation case against him today.

Gurmeet, who left the sect headquarters in Sirsa by road this morning, reached Panchkula in the afternoon, officials said.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made around the district court in Panchkula ahead of the court verdict.

Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in great numbers, they said.

Haryana DGP B S Sandhu said heavy security deployment has been made in and around the court complex.

Amid heavy security, the 50-year-old Dera head had left the sect-headquarters at Sirsa, about 260 km from Chandigarh, at about 9:am.

The court is set to pronounce verdict in the case at around 2:30 p.m.

The sexual exploitation case was registered against the Dera chief in 2002 by the CBI on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court after anonymous letters were circulated about the alleged sexual exploitation of two 'sadhvis' (female followers) by Ram Rahim Singh.

The Dera chief, however, has denied these charges.