Ram Rahim, 50, faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment while the CBI demanded for 20 years imprisonment. The chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect was flown out of Panchkula in a helicopter after his conviction as his followers broke into rioting and arson.
On the other hand Gurmeet wept like a child and pleaded with the judge to forgive him.
Thousands of paramilitary troops and anti-riot police have blocked off all roads in the area. Large gatherings are banned in Rohtak. Mobile internet services remain suspended. All schools and colleges in Haryana are closed.
Barbed-wire barriers have been erected and residents have been warned to stay indoors in Rohtak. Senior members of Ram Rahim’s Dera Sacha Sauda sect were placed under detention as a precautionary measure.
The Rohtak police has warned that it may shoot at any sign of trouble, three days after violence and rioting by supporters of the Dera Sacha Sauda claimed 38 lives.
