Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh: Dera Sacha Sauda spiritual leader found guilty of raping female followers

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh at a news conference to launch the score for his film 'MSG-2 The Messenger' in Mumbai AFP/Getty Images

A popular Indian actor and spiritual leader, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, has been convicted of raping his followers following a high profile trial.

Singh was found guilty of raping two women in a case dating back to 2002 at the headquarters of his Dera Sacha Sauda group in the town of Sirsa.

The bearded guru, who had denied the charges, had arrived for the hearing with a 100-vehicle convoy that left his ashram early on Friday.

Some 15,000 police and soldiers were deployed in Panchkula, the town where his trial took place, for fear of violence.

Tens of thousands of his devotees had travelled there to protest his innocence, according to reports, while internet and phone services were throttled in a bid to forestall unrest.

In a televised appeal, Singh asked his supporters not to resort to violence, but some said they would not tolerate a verdict that went against their leader.

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