Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh gets 20 years in jail

New Delhi 

Rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was on Monday sentenced to 20 years in jail by a special CBI court.  CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh pronounced two sentences of 10 years rigorous imprisonment in each of the two cases that date back to 2002. Both sentences will run consecutively for a total of 20 years in jail for the flamboyant guru.

The judge had allowed each side 10 minutes to present their case. The CBI had sought life term for Ram Rahim, while the defence asked for a lighter sentence. 

On August 25, Singh was convicted of rape following which there was widespread violence across Haryana and Punjab leaving over 38 persons dead. Apart from claiming to be a Godman and social reformer, the Dera chief is also famous for his stints as a rock musician, actor and filmmaker and is believed to have used these means of entertainment to keep the youth away from social evils particularly drugs and alcohol.