Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh: All you need to know
What's the story
Life in Punjab and Haryana has been thrown out of gear. The region is buzzing with police personnel, trains and buses have been cancelled, internet services suspended.
All this is in preparation for possible large-scale violence when a court delivers the verdict in a rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Dera Sacha Sauda chief, tomorrow.
Here's everything to know about the man in focus.
Profile
Rahim Singh was born on Independence Day!
Rahim Singh is the leader of the Dera Sacha Sauda, a sect based in Haryana's Sirsa.
He was born on August 15, 1967, in Modia, Rajasthan, the only child of Mata Naseeb Kaur Ji and Sardar Magghar Singh Ji.
He became the Dera head on September 23, 1990, after Shah Satnam Singh. Rahim Singh "teaches meditation to disciples from all parts of the world".
Data
His sect, the Dera, has a global following of crores
Dera reportedly has over 5cr followers globally. It has more than 250 ashrams across Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, MP and other parts of the world. It also has 700 acres of agricultural land in Sirsa as well as gas stations and market complexes.
Tidbits
Ram Rahim lives life king-size
The spiritual leader has starred in movies based on himself ('Messenger of God'), where he was seen riding bikes and swashbuckling.
He has also released several albums, including 'Love Charger' and 'Network Tere Love Ka'. In MSG-2, he sang six songs in six voices.
He is known for his interesting discourses- from 'naam charcha' to 'ru-ba-ru nights'.
His 100-vehicle convoy includes 16 Ford Endeavours.
Information
The 2002 rape case against Ram Rahim
Guru Ram Rahim Singh is accused of sexually exploiting two female followers nearly 15 years ago in 2002. The alleged crime happened at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa, Haryana, about 250kms from capital Chandigarh. Ram Rahim has denied the allegations.