Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been slapped imprisonment of 10 years each, making it a total of 20 years of jail term, in connection with the 2002 rape cases.
Speaking to ANI, Defense lawyer, SK Garg Nawvana said that the Judge announced 10 years imprisonment and Rs.15 lakh fine each in 2 cases and Rs.14 lakh each to be paid to both victims.
"Both parties argued on the quantum of sentence. We have asked court that he is serving so much to the society so his punishment should be reduced. So, the Court gave the verdict after listening to this. We will definitely appeal against this as we have a right to appeal and we are hopeful that the decision will be in our favour. So, the court convicted him for 10 years and charged 14 lakhs each to the victims. Both sentences would be consecutive but the sentence of both 376 and 506 will run concurrently," he added.
The sentence against rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was declared by a special CBI court earlier today.
He has been sentenced to 20 years in prison as he was announced guilty of raping two women in a 2002 case.
Ram Rahim was convicted on charges of rape on August 25 by the Special CBI Court.
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The rape case was registered by the CBI in April 2002 against the self-styled god man after allegations of sexual exploitation of two women followers. The then prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had received an anonymous letter from a Dera Sadhvi that she was being raped by Ram Rahim.
Following Ram Rahim's conviction on Friday, his 'bhakts' went on a rampage in Haryana's Panchkula and Sirsa, and Punjab, Haryana and their neighbouring states have, since, been on the edge.