The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday admitted the appeal filed by Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving 20-years jail sentence, challenging his conviction by the special Central Bureau of Investigation in two counts of rape of female followers.
A division bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Sudhir Mittal while admitting the appeal issued issued notice to the CBI.
Ram Rahim’s lawyer, S.K. Garg Narvana pleaded before the court that in the wake of all the Dera properties having been attached, his client was not in a position to pay ₹30 lakh – the amount which the CBI court has asked to pay as a fine to the rape survivors.
“Also my client – Gurmeet Ram Rahim has renounced the world,” he said.
The court, however, directed Ram Rahim to deposit the compensation amount, within two months at a nationalised bank in the CBI Panchkula court’s name. The court said that the amount will be kept in the bank till the case is pending and would be paid only after the court’s direction.
