Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim, 4 others get life term in 19-yr-old murder case

Ram Rahim Singh, who was in 2017 sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping two disciples, is currently lodged in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail.

The Special Court in Haryana’s Panchkula had convicted him and four others — Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, Avtar Singh and Sabdil - in the murder case on October 8. The court has given the life sentence to five, CBI special prosecutor HPS Verma said after the hearing was held amid tight security.

The CBI had sought capital punishment for them. Verma said the Dera chief was also fined Rs 31 lakh and half of the amount will go to the victim’s family as compensation. Reacting to the verdict, Jagseer Singh, son of Ranjit Singh, said it was a big day for the family as they got justice after a long wait.

Jagseer, who was 8-years-old when his father was murdered, said he was satisfied with the verdict, though his family was seeking death sentence for Ram Rahim Singh. The Dera chief, who enjoyed a large following, had frequently courted controversies and after his conviction in rape case in 2017, violence had broken out in Panchkula and Sirsa leaving over 40 dead.