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Hindu godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh gets 20-year jail for rapes

Agencies
August 28, 2017

Chandigarh, Aug 28: A special CBI court on Monday sentenced Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to 20-years of rigorous imprisonment in separate cases of rape of his two disciples. 

Amid unprecedented security in Punjab and Haryana, CBI judge Jagdeep Singh was flown in from Panchkula to the Rohtak jail this afternoon where a library was turned into a make-shift courtroom for the extraordinary hearing in the case.

No major incident of violence or arson was reported from Haryana after today’s pronouncement of sentence. Both states continue to be on high alert. The court ordered a fine of Rs 15 lakh in each of the two cases out of which Rs 14 lakh will be given to each of the victims.

The sect chief broke down as the quantum of sentence was read out to him by the Judge. He sought forgiveness with folded hands, said sources. The Dera head felt uneasy during the hearing after which doctors of the PGI Rohtak, who was on stand by, were asked to examine the convict, reports said. 

There was a heavy deployment of Army and para military around the jail complex and only a few were permitted inside the courtroom.

The Judge ordered 10-year jail term in each of the two cases which meant that the sentence will run consecutively, not concurrently, over a span of 20-years. Both the defence and prosecution were allowed 10-minutes each by the CBI Judge for final comments. Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s lawyers sought leniency in punishment from the Judge on grounds that his client was sick and had done a lot of philanthropic work. 

The CBI counsel on the other side sought maximum punishment. Earlier on Friday, the Judge had convicted the sect head for the rape of two women between 1999 and 2002. His conviction led to unprecedented violence in Panchkula and Sirsa after hoodlums of the Dera went berserk resorting to large scale violence and arson which consumed 38 lives and injured 278 persons.

Haryana CM ML Khattar has appealed for peace. The Army is out in Sirsa and Rohtak to prevent a repeat of Friday’s violence. Authorities said they will not hesitate to fire gun shots at people who violate orders and disrupt law and order. In Punjab, curfew has been lifted in five out of 10 districts. 

Night curfew continues for the time being in Mansa, Bathinda, Faridkot, Barnala and Samna, and some parts of Patiala.

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News Network
July 27,2020

New Delhi, Jul 27: India's COVID tally on Monday crossed 14 lakh mark with the highest single-day spike of 49,931 cases reported in the last 24 hours, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The total COVID-19 cases stand at 14,35,453, including 4,85,114 active cases, 9,17,568 cured/discharged/migrated, it added.

With 708 deaths in the last 24 hours, the cumulative toll reached 32,771.

India had crossed 13 lakhs COVID-19 cases on July 25.

Maharashtra has reported 3,75,799 coronavirus cases, the highest among states and Union Territories in the country.

A total of 2,13,723 cases have been reported from Tamil Nadu till now, while Delhi has recorded a total of 1,30,606 coronavirus cases.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 5,15,472 samples were tested for coronavirus on Sunday and overall 1,68,06,803 samples have been tested so far.

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News Network
June 15,2020

New Delhi, Jun 15: Two officials working with the Indian High Commission in Islamabad have reportedly gone missing, sources said.

The two officials are untraceable for the last few hours.

Recently news agency reported on how Pakistan 's spy agency ISI has been tailing and harassing Indian officials and also increased their presence at the residence of Acting High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia.

This incident came in the backdrop when two Pakistani officials were caught red-handed and sent back trying to collect classified information and spying in Delhi.

South block is watching the developments closely, the Indian mission has also launched a complaint with local authorities and taken up the matter Pakistan Foreign Ministry.

This incident can cause a further dip in the already tense India-Pakistan relations.

Earlier in the month, India deported two Pakistani officials for espionage activities in India.

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News Network
June 6,2020

New Delhi, Jun 6: Military commanders of India and China are scheduled to meet today at Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), to discuss the ongoing dispute along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.

The Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps of the Indian Army Commander Lieutenant Gen Harinder Singh will meet his Chinese equivalent Maj Gen Liu Lin, who is the commander of South Xinjiang Military Region of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to address the ongoing tussle in Eastern Ladakh between the two countries over the heavy military build-up by the People's Liberation Army along the LAC there.

The two sides have held close to a dozen rounds of talks since the first week of May when the Chinese sent over 5,000 troops to the LAC.

On Friday, officials of India and China interacted through video-conferencing with the two sides agreeing that they should handle "their differences through peaceful discussion" while respecting each other's sensitivities and concerns and not allowing them to become disputes in accordance with the guidance provided by the leadership.

In the last few days, there has not been any major movement of the People's Liberation Army troops at the multiple sites where it has stationed itself along the LAC opposite Indian forces.

India and China have been locked in a dispute over the heavy military build-up by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) where they have brought in more than 5,000 troops along with the Eastern Ladakh sector.

The Chinese Army's intent to carry out deeper incursions was checked by the Indian security forces by quick deployment. The Chinese have also brought in heavy vehicles with artillery guns and infantry combat vehicles in their rear positions close to the Indian territory.

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