Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh moves HC against rape conviction

NEW DELHI: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has moved the Punjab and Haryana high court against a special CBI court's verdict in two rape cases+ .

Singh, who was convicted last month, is currently lodged in Rohtak District Jail.

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The 50-year-old Dera chief has held that the charges are false, claiming that he is "not capable of" engaging in physical relations.

"We have filed an appeal today in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Through this, we have challenged the order of the CBI court," defence counsel Vishal Garg Narwana said.

He said the CBI verdict has been challenged on several grounds.

"One of the grounds was that there was a delay of more than six years in recording the statements of the women (victims) by the CBI after the incident," the defence counsel said.

A special CBI court had on August 25 convicted the Dera chief for raping his two disciples 15 years ago+ . He was sentenced to 20 years in jail and fined Rs 15 lakh in each of the two cases.

After the verdict was announced, Dera followers unleashed violence+ that led to the deaths of 38 people and the destruction of property worth crores of rupees.

In 2002, the Punjab and Haryana high court, taking suo motu cognizance of a sadhvi's letter to then-Prime Minister Vajpayee, had directed the CBI to register a case of sexual exploitation against Singh.

The trial against Singh began in 2008, and he was charged under Section 376 (rape) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The self-styled godman is also facing trial in the murders of Dera follower Ranjit Singh and journalist Ram Chander Chattrapati.