India’s “guru of bling” jailed for 10 years on rape charges

An Indian judge on Monday handed a 10-year jail sentence to self-styled ‘godman’ Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, whose followers went on a deadly rampage after he was convicted of rape on Friday.

Prior to the verdict, tens of thousands of police had enforced a lockdown in large parts of the northern states of Haryana and Punjab where Singh, 50, has a mass following.

Police in Haryana issued orders to shoot protesters on sight ahead of the sentencing and ordered the hearing to be carried out inside the prison where Singh was being held.

Hundreds of the guru’s followers went on the rampage on Friday after Singh was convicted of rape, attacking train stations, buses and television vans.

At least 38 people were killed and more than 200 injured, triggering criticism that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party, which also governs the state of Haryana, was either unable or unwilling to act against Singh’s followers.

“The court has ordered 10-year jail term for the accused,” Ram Niwas, a bureaucrat in charge of law and order in Haryana, told Reuters on Monday. There were no reports of violence after the sentencing.

The case dates back to 2002 when two women followers accused Singh of rape at the headquarters of his Dera Sacha Sauda in the town of Sirsa.

Singh, also known as the guru of bling for the bejewelled costumes he wears in self-produced films, faced a minimum of seven years under new tough rape laws.

Singh’s lawyer, A.K.Panth, said his client was innocent and would appeal against his conviction. Vipassana Insan, a spokeswoman for the Dera Sacha Sauda, urged Singh’s followers to respect the court’s order.

The prison was transformed into a fortress, with journalists banned from approaching within a mile (1.6 km) and roads were lined with barbed-wire barricades.

The case has highlighted the Indian heartland’s fascination with spiritual gurus, who enjoy immense influence for their ability to mobilise millions of followers.

Singh claims more than a million followers on his website.

In 2015, Singh started a film franchise portraying him as MSG or “Messenger of God”, performing miracles, preaching to thousands and beating up gangsters while singing and dancing.

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