Indian ‘godman’ Gurmeet Ram Rahim's sentencing: 10 facts

The quantum of punishment against rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will be pronounced today.

The self-styled godman was convicted by a special CBI court on Friday, which led to large-scale violence by his followers in parts of Haryana, Punjab and Delhi, resulting in the deaths of 38 people.

Ram Rahim has since been lodged in a Rohtak district jail. Here are the latest 10 developments Times of India has listed in events on his sentencing:

1.  Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will be sentenced on Monday at 2:30pm at a special court near Rohtak, Haryana.

The quantum of sentence will be read in a court being specially set up inside the District Jail premises in Sunaria near Rohtak, where Ram Rahim was brought and lodged after his conviction.

2. CBI special court judge Jagdeep Singh, who had on Friday held the Dera chief guilty of rape and criminal intimidation of the two female disciples in 2002, will be flown to Rohtak on Monday to pronounce the quantum of sentence against the convicted Dera chief.

3. A multi-layer security cordon has been thrown around the Rohtak district jail by paramilitary forces and Haryana Police ahead of the sentencing. The Army has been kept on stand-by.

No movement of people, other than those authorized, will be allowed within a distance of 10 km from the prison premises.

"We have ensured no Dera follower is allowed to enter the entire Rohtak district or move around jail. Several barricades with strong police and paramilitary presence have been set up, we're ready to deal with any eventuality," Navdeep Singh Virk, IGP Rohtak Range told ANI.

4. Rohtak District Collector (DC) Atul Kumar stated that if any anti-social elements are spotted trying to harm themselves or others, shoot at sight orders will be issued immediately.

"We will not allow anyone to create any sort of trouble in Rohtak. Anyone breaking law or indulging in acts of violence or arson will himself be responsible for his fate. Anyone creating trouble will be given a warning first and if he still pays no heed, then he will have to face the bullet," Kumar told reporters on Sunday evening.

5. Meanwhile, Panchkula, Sirsa, Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring areas have been put on high alert, with paramilitary forces deployed in various pockets of the states. While Section 144 is already in place in Rohtak, curfew also continues to be enforced in Sirsa.

At many sensitive places in Punjab too, security forces conducted flag marches and kept a tight vigil in sensitive areas.

6. Security has been beefed up to prevent any untoward incident in Sirsa. Though the exodus of Dera followers from the sect's headquarters in Sirsa began Saturday, several supporters of the self-styled godman are still present in and around the sprawling premises.

Locals have been asked to stay indoors as a preventive measure.

7. Delhi Police rubbished reports of traffic divergences and school closures circulating on social media ahead of the Dera chief's sentencing later today.

"Fake traffic advisory circulated, no such advisory has been issued. No road closures, metro remains as per schedule. Schools will remain open tomorrow. There are no instructions from Delhi Police to close them. Social media rumors should not be believed," Delhi Police PRO Madhur Verma was quoted as saying by ANI.

8. While reassuring the public that all necessary security arrangements have been made, authorities also urged people not to spread baseless rumours on social media and create a panic.

"We have got sufficient deployment of the Delhi police in all areas, apart from certain decisions of the paramilitary forces and CRPF. Police patrolling is going on in important places. There is no reason to panic or instigate panic through these rumours," PRO Madhur Verma said.

9. Security has been stepped up outside the official residence of Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh ahead of Ram Rahim's sentencing.

10. Mobile internet services will remain suspended in Haryana and Punjab till 11:30am on Tuesday. Internet lease lines on the premises of the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters at Sirsa will also be suspended till then, officials said.