Special Judge, CBI Court, R K Saini framed charges against the five -- Kishan Lal, Avtar Singh, Inder Saini, Jasbir Singh and Sabdil Singh -- in the Ranjeet murder case.
Notably, all the games played inside the academy are created by Gurmeet Ram Rahim himself and are not played at national or international level.
Known for his flashy outfits, the Dera chief was attired in a white kurta-pyjama with matching white shoes as the judge sentenced him to 20 years in jail.
"Our investigations in the various cases against Dera Sacha Sauda are over," a senior CBI official told PTI in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
Even as the home ministry sent out alerts to states over Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim's movie, Messenger of God, the Censor Board has refused to certify the film taking exception to the spiritual leader depicting himself as god on the silver screen.
Punjab Congress chief and former chief minister Amrinder Singh on Friday visited the Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa and met its chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to seek the support of the sect followers in favour of his party for the January 30 assembly polls.
Dera Sachkhand leader Sant Rama Nand, whose death in a shooting incident in Vienna triggered large-scale violence in Punjab, will be cremated on Thursday with full state honours, amid tight security in Ballan. The body of the Dera leader was brought to Ballan, 15 kms from Jalandhar, early today morning by a special flight from Vienna for the last rites. Many sect followers gathered to pay their last respects to the leader.Tight security arrangements were put in place.
said the CBI verdict has been challenged on several grounds. "One of the grounds was that there was a delay of more than six years in recording the statements of the women (victims) by the CBI after the incident," the defence counsel said.
Impressed by PM Modi's initiatives, the sect will extend support to BJP
A youth was killed and a woman injured in Jalandhar district on Tuesday after a Dera head allegedly opened fire on Dalits objecting to his "derogatory" remarks against Valmiki.
One person was killed when a group of Sikhs clashed with Dera Sacha Sauda supporters in Dabwali town in Sisra district of Chandigarh on Friday morning.
The Aam Aadmi Party has fielded Karamjit Anmol, while the BJP has named North West Delhi MP Hans Raj Hans from Faridkot, a reserved parliamentary constituency.
The Dera had approached the apex court last Friday after the Akal Takht, the highest religious body of Sikhs, served an ultimatum to the Punjab government to close down all Deras in the state by May 27.
Agnivesh said Sant Gurmit Ram Raheem Singh should tender an 'open hearted apology' if the situation is to improve in Punjab and other states.
The action committee of the Sirsa-based sect, in a letter to Kalam, also demanded registration of case against those who are allegedly committing excesses on its followers.
Various Sikh leaders on Friday hailed the decision of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikh religion, which annulled its edict of pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda Sect Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
The Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Community Party of India-Marxist have all called for the resignation of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar following the violence that broke out after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim on Friday.
Emerging from a meeting of Akal Takht in Amritsar, jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti told reporters that "the fresh note received from Dera head neither accepts his sin nor promises not to repeat such act again."
Comedian Kiku Sharda who features in the hit television show Comedy Nights With Kapil has been arrested for imitating self-styled spiritual guru Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, according to news agency ANI.
Suspected terrorists fired upon a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday evening, prompting security forces to launch a search operation, officials said.
At least 50 people, including over 20 policemen, were injured in violent protests in Bathinda and Sriganganagar in Rajasthan.
The CBI court is hearing the cases of killings of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and former Dera manager Ranjit Singh.
Supporters of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda sect blocked rail and road traffic at various places in Punjab for the second day on Sunday, demanding that cinema halls screen sect leader Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh's film MSG-2.
A special Central Bureau of Investigation court on Saturday directed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to be present on August 23 to hear formal framing of charges against him in connection with a 1999 case involving the rape of a female disciple.Singh was not present in the court today owing to ill health, skipping a second successive appearance. The Dera chief is the lone accused in the case of alleged sexual exploitation involving a female sect member.
The dera chief, who is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two disciples, was granted 40-day parole on January 20.
The 66-year-old preacher was recovering fast, sect in-charge Sant Surinder Dass Bawa said. Bawa appealed to protesters to shun the path of agitation and pray for speedy recovery of the injured Dera head after a clash between rival Sikh communities in a Vienna Gurudwara leading to the death of one of their gurus, Sant Rama Nand, triggered large scale violence and arson in Punjab.
Congress leader sought stern action against the BJP MP.
The Dera head had been accused by the CBI of two murders -- Dera manager Ranjit Singh and scribe Ram Chander Chattarapati -- besides rape of his disciple.
Earlier, the CBI filed a "status report" in the court of Justices Adesh Kumar Goel and Ajay Lamba about the three cases in compliance of the high court's order.
Train services in Punjab were suspended on Wednesday following blocking of tracks at several places by members of the Sikh community, who are demanding the arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh in the wake of the Mumbai firing incident.The 'rail roko' call given by Damdami Taksal, Shiromani Akali Dal and certain radical Sikh organisations asked the protesters to remain peaceful.
Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has apologised for dressing up like Guru Gobind Singh.
The Dera chief was returning from Rajasthan when his vehicle was attacked, but he escaped unhurt, a senior official said.
A car, part of the cavalcade of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, went up in flames in Haryana's Karnal district on Saturday. The driver of the car lost control after its engine developed trouble near village Manakmajra. Suddenly there was a loud explosion and the car went up in flames, police said. Two people have been rounded up in connection with the incident, police said, adding it was too early to conclude whether it was an accident or an attack
Comedian Kiku Sharda was arrested by Haryana police on a complaint alleging he hurt religious sentiments by mocking Dera Sacha Sauda sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
A search operation to track down the fleeing terrorists continues near the scene of the ambush, while mobile internet services remained suspended in the twin districts for the second day on Sunday, they said.
According to official sources in Chandigarh, the six persons, all belonging to Sikh community, received minor injuries on their legs after the shooting incident in Mallewala village, about 10 km from Sirsa, and were treated in a local hospital.
Official sources said mobile Internet services were suspended both in Poonch and Rajouri districts as a precautionary measure to check rumour-mongering and prevent miscreants from creating any law and order problem.
The government had given the nod for his arrest.
The Sikh high priests have called for a Punjab bandh on May 22.
Talking about the earlier two apologies sent by the Dera Sacha Sauda, Vedanti described them as mere 'press notes' and alleged the language used in the text was not proper.
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