Sirsa Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh held guilty of rape

The special CBI court in Panchkula on Friday pronounced Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty in a 2002 rape case and ordered him to be taken into judicial custody. He will be lodged in Ambala jail, according to initial reports. The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on 28 August. Earlier, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh appeared in person on Friday before the special CBI court in Panchkula to face the verdict in a 2002 sexual exploitation case against him. Tension prevails in Punjab and Haryana where the sect has a huge following with thousands of Dera followers already descended in Panchkula. Meanwhile, administration has deployed thousands of jawans, including 15,000 paramilitary troops, in sensitive areas across the two states to handle any eventuality. Mobile internet services have also been suspended for 72 hours in both the states and their joint capital Chandigarh while authorities are keeping a close watch on social media posts also, officials said. The authorities also restricted movement of trains and buses towards Panchkula.