Chandigarh, Aug. 12 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has upheld the conviction and 10-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) awarded to Dhanwant Singh, head of Dera Noor Vishav Ruhani Charitable Trust, in a nearly 21-year-old rape case involving a 20-year-old woman.

The court also awarded her Rs.6 lakh in compensation for the trauma of sexual assault and her subsequent long quest for justice.

Justice Ramesh Kumari passed the order while disposing of three connected matters arising from the common judgment of conviction and sentence dated January 29, 2005, passed by the Hoshiarpur additional sessions judge, fast track court. He was accused of raping the woman during the intervening night of November 25 and 26, 2000.

Singh had challenged hi...