Hindu godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh gets 20-year jail for rapes

Agencies

August 28, 2017

Chandigarh, Aug 28: A special CBI court on Monday sentenced Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to 20-years of rigorous imprisonment in separate cases of rape of his two disciples.

Amid unprecedented security in Punjab and Haryana, CBI judge Jagdeep Singh was flown in from Panchkula to the Rohtak jail this afternoon where a library was turned into a make-shift courtroom for the extraordinary hearing in the case.

No major incident of violence or arson was reported from Haryana after today’s pronouncement of sentence. Both states continue to be on high alert. The court ordered a fine of Rs 15 lakh in each of the two cases out of which Rs 14 lakh will be given to each of the victims.

The sect chief broke down as the quantum of sentence was read out to him by the Judge. He sought forgiveness with folded hands, said sources. The Dera head felt uneasy during the hearing after which doctors of the PGI Rohtak, who was on stand by, were asked to examine the convict, reports said.

There was a heavy deployment of Army and para military around the jail complex and only a few were permitted inside the courtroom.

The Judge ordered 10-year jail term in each of the two cases which meant that the sentence will run consecutively, not concurrently, over a span of 20-years. Both the defence and prosecution were allowed 10-minutes each by the CBI Judge for final comments. Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s lawyers sought leniency in punishment from the Judge on grounds that his client was sick and had done a lot of philanthropic work.

The CBI counsel on the other side sought maximum punishment. Earlier on Friday, the Judge had convicted the sect head for the rape of two women between 1999 and 2002. His conviction led to unprecedented violence in Panchkula and Sirsa after hoodlums of the Dera went berserk resorting to large scale violence and arson which consumed 38 lives and injured 278 persons.

Haryana CM ML Khattar has appealed for peace. The Army is out in Sirsa and Rohtak to prevent a repeat of Friday’s violence. Authorities said they will not hesitate to fire gun shots at people who violate orders and disrupt law and order. In Punjab, curfew has been lifted in five out of 10 districts.

Night curfew continues for the time being in Mansa, Bathinda, Faridkot, Barnala and Samna, and some parts of Patiala.

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Puttur's Healthcare Dream Cleared: State Finance Gives Nod for 300-Bed Hospital

News Network

December 2,2025

Puttur: The long-cherished dream of a government medical college in Puttur has moved a decisive step closer to reality, with the Karnataka State Finance Department granting its official approval for the construction of a new 300-bed hospital.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the crucial development to reporters on Monday, confirming that the official communication from the finance department was issued on November 27. This 300-bed facility is intended to be the cornerstone for the establishment of the government medical college, a project announced in the state budget.

Fast-Track Implementation

The MLA outlined an aggressive timeline for the project:

• A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital is expected to be ready within 45 days.

• The tender process for the construction will be completed within two months.

Following the completion of the tender process, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project.

"Setting up a medical college in Puttur is a historical decision by the Congress government in Karnataka," Rai stated. The project has an estimated budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the medical college.

Focus on Medical Education Department

The MLA highlighted a key strategic move: requesting the government to implement the hospital construction through the Medical Education Department instead of the Health and Family Welfare Department. This is intended to streamline the entire process of establishing the full medical college, ensuring the facilities—including labs, operation theatres, and other necessary infrastructure—adhere to the strict guidelines set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposed site for the project is in Bannur.

Rai also took the opportunity to address political criticism, stating that the government has fulfilled its promise despite "apprehensions" and "mocking and criticising" from opposition parties who had failed to take similar initiatives when they were in power. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept his word," he added.

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