Convicted of Rape, Meet Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh 'Insaan'

New Delhi: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was on Monday handed out a 10-year jail term for raping a minor 15 years ago.

The case in itself was one of a kind with the Haryana and Punjab have called in for police reinforcements to gear up for the verdict on the 15-year-old rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Rahim, on his part, was followed by a convoy of around 200 cars on his way to court in the morning.

But just who is the baba who wields such disproportionate influence?

Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh ‘Insaan’ was born on August 15, 1967, in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan and became the third chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda at the age of 23 in 1990. The DSS was founded by Beparawah Mastana Ji Maharaj in 1948. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is the third head of the dera.

Apart from its stronghold in Haryana and Punjab, the dera has thousands of followers in states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Ram Rahim Singh is believed to harbour close links with militant Gurjant Singh Rajasthani of the Khalistan Liberation Force. He enjoys Z-level security cover and is known for his lavish rockstar-like lifestyle. He drives around in a Range Rover SUV and hundreds of vehicles follow him in his entourage.

In 2002 he was accused of rape and intimidation of two sadhvis (female followers). The case was handed over by the Punjab & Haryana High Court to the Central Bureau of Investigation, which has been probing it since 2007. A CBI court in Panchkula will pronounce its verdict on the case today.

The controversial god man is also alleged to have masterminded the murder of Ram Chandra Chatrapati, a Sirsa-based editor of the newspaper Poora Sach, for publishing a report about his alleged illegal activities.

The colourful dera chief is known for his outlandish costumes and his ‘MSG (Messenger of God)’ film franchise in which he plays the lead role. He doubles up in 30 other roles in the films, including choreographer, stunt director, screen-play writer and make-up artist. Two MSG films have been released so far.

He has got into trouble in the past for dressing up as the 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh and as the Hindu god Vishnu.