Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday admitted the appeal of jailed Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh against his conviction by a special CBI court in rape cases and issued noticed to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).The court also admitted the appeal filed by the rape survivors.
The counsels representing the Dera chief told the division bench of Justices Surya Kant and Sudhir Mittal that the self-styled guru has “renounced the world” and is not in a position to pay Rs 30 lakh fine imposed by the trial court to be paid to the rape survivors. Ram Rahim’s counsel SK Garg Narvana said all the Dera properties have been “attached” and he is not in a position to pay Rs 30 lakh fine imposed by the Special CBI Court.
However, while disposing off the appeal, the High Court directed the sect head to deposit the compensation amount, awarded by the trial court to the victims, in the CBI Court Panchkula which will keep the same in a nationalised bank till the pendency of appeal.