Dera chief lodged in make-shift jail in Rohtak

Chandigarh: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was lodged in a make-shift jail at a police training centre in Rohtak soon after his conviction in a rape case Friday.

"Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been put in (special jail at) PTC Sunaria," Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Atul Kumar told PTI, adding, tight security arrangements have been made.

Judge Jagdeep Singh of CBI special court at Panchkula convicted the self-styled godman and said the quantum of sentence will be pronounced on August 28, CBI counsel H P S Verma said.

Immediately after his conviction, followers of the Sirsa based Dera went on rampage and clashed with security personnel leaving many dead and injured.

"Tight security arrangements have been put in place in Rohtak," the DC said.

Haryana Government has established special jails in three districts, a spokesman of the Jails Department said here.

The spokesman said that these special jails were in Nahar Singh cricket stadium, Faridabad, Sports Stadium, Pundrak, district Karnal and Police Training College (PTC) Rest House, Sunaria, district Rohtak.

These orders would remain in operation till further orders, he added.

Meanwhile, CBI counsel Verma said that Gurmeet Ram Rahim was accompanied by his daughter when he reached the courtroom in Panchkula after travelling from the sect headquarters at Sirsa.

At the time of court pronouncing him guilty in the 2002 case, the sect chief appeared "calm and composed", the CBI counsel said.

The 50-year-old Dera head had earlier appealed to his followers to maintain peace.

Verma said that the Dera head had been found guilty under Section 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC.