Ram Rahim says can't pay Rs 30 lakh fine, have renounced the world

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CHANDIGARH: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's counsel on Monday told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the Dera chief has “renounced the world” and cannot pay the Rs 30 lakh fine imposed by the special court.

A special CBI court had asked Ram Rahim to deposit Rs 30 lakh fine with a bank within two months of his sentencing.

Representing Ram Rahim, senior advocate S K Garg Narwana said, "The high court has also directed us to deposit fine with a bank in the shape of FDR through the court within two months. If our appeal is finalised in our favour, then we will get back money with interest."

On Monday, during the hearing of Ram Rahim's plea challenging the 20-year jail sentence in 2002 rape case, Dera counsel S K Garg Narwana told the court that all of sect's properties has been “attached” and he is not in a position to pay the amount.

A division bench of Justices Surya Kant and Sudhir Mittal was listening to the plea.

The bench also admitted a separate plea filed the two victims seeking life imprisonment for Ram Rahim.

"The revision petition filed by rape victims for enhancing the sentence to life imprisonment for Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been admitted," victims' counsel Navkiran Singh here today.

Narwana also said, "the court has also admitted our appeal (challenging the conviction)."

Both the pleas will now be heard together.

The jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 25, challenging the order of the special CBI Court of Panchkula which had sentenced him to 20-year-imprisonment for raping two disciples.

Ram Rahim was convicted by the special CBI court on August 25, following which violence and arson had erupted in Panchkula and Sirsa districts which left 41 people dead and left scores injured.

Ram Rahim is currently lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak district.

With PTI inputs