Chandigarh, April 16
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today took strong exception to the failure of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit the final report of the ongoing investigation into various criminal cases connected to Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda.

Refusing to grant more time to the CBI to submit the report, the court directed it to complete its investigation into all cases under investigation against the Dera expeditiously and submit the final report by May 25.

The Bench observed that there was no tangible material before it or genuine reason for the agency to seek more time. The only inference, the court said, was that either the sincerity was lacking or there were some extraneous consideration in dealing with the matter.

The CBI is investigating cases of murders and alleged sexual exploitation of women inmates of the Dera by the dera head and his associates on the orders of the high court.

Besides investigating the allegations that Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and some of his aides were involved in the murders of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and former dera inmate Ranjit Singh, the CBI is also probing the charge contained in an anonymous letter received by the high court about sexual exploitation of female inmates.

Recently there were apprehensions that the Congress, which had been extended help by the Dera in the recently-held Vidhan Sabha elections as a result of which it had swept the Malwa region, would try to leverage its influence in the Union government to bail out the Dera management. The recent abrupt removal of the investigating officer DSP Armaandeep Singh had also raised questions.

Anshul Chhatrapati, son of the deceased journalist, who is a petitioner in the matter, had recently announced his intention to move the high court, challenging the midway change of investigating officer.

Today, during resumed hearing, the Division Bench comprising Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice H.S. Bhalla came down heavily on the CBI for submitting a status report on the progress of investigation.

The new investigating officer DSP Satish Dagar was also present in the court.

The court even went to the extent of asking the CBI director to inquire into the matter to find out why it was taking so long for the agency to conclude the probes.

Hearing will now resume on May 28.