Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others have been sentenced to life imprisonment in the murder case of a former dera manager, Ranjit Singh.
Ranjit Singh, who was also a follower of the dera, was shot dead in 2002. He was murdered for his suspected role in the circulation of an anonymous letter, which narrated how women were being sexually exploited by the dera head.
A special CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana, on Monday, also imposed a fine of Rs 31 lakh on the dera chief.
The others convicted along with the self-styled godman are: Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, Avtar Singh and Sabdil.
The dera chief had pleaded leniency, citing the welfare works carried out by the dera. However, the CBI opposed it and demanded the "maximum punishment" under the IPC Section 302.
The court had, on Friday, convicted the five for the murder.
Over two years ago, the godman was also awarded life imprisonment for the murder of a journalist, Ram Chander Chhatrapati.
Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed in Panchkula.
—With PTI inputs
