Officials in Sirsa, Haryana, released 18 minor girls out of Dera Sacha Sauda headquarter on Tuesday. All the girls were taken to civil hospital for medical checkup. The age of all girls is between 7 to 20. These girls were adopted by Ram Rahim and they were known as 'Shahi Daughters'.

Sirsa Deputy Commissioner Prabhjot Singh said, "After completing all legal formalities, 18 girls were evicted from the headquarters of Dera. These girls are now under the supervision of the Child Protection Officer and later they will be sent to different child protection institutions located in different places."

In December 1999, the Special Court of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sentenced Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to 20 years in prison for raping and threatening two of his followers. The Deputy Commissioner said that besides 650 people living in the dera have been sent to their homes. He told that only 250 to 300 people left in the dera.

After the special court of Panchkula convicted Dera chief on Friday, 38 people died in the widespread violence by dera supporters and more than 264 injured.

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