“He was present in the courtroom when I deposed against him in 2009. I was not scared of him then nor I am scared today,” said the woman, whose statement led to the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The woman, who is in her early 40s, spoke to The Hindu over her relative’s phone on Monday, as she continues to live under police protection since 2002, the year the Punjab and Haryana High Court took cognisance of an anonymous letter and directed the CBI to investigate the allegations of rape and sexual assault in it.
The CBI convinced 18 women to give evidence against the Dera chief but only two deposed against him in court, leading to his conviction. “I got justice today,” the woman said. Police enhanced her security from August 24 onwards, a day before the Dera chief was convicted by a CBI court.
A close relative of the woman said she was sexually assaulted when she was studying at a college run inside the Sirsa headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda. He said the woman is married now and has two children. The woman’s elder brother was also an ardent follower of the Dera chief.
“He was murdered in 2002 at the behest of Ram Rahim Singh. The godman suspected the brother of having sent the anonymous letter, which led to registration of a case against him. The brother had become aware of the wrongdoings with his sister,” said the relative. The CBI is also investigating the murder case.