600 skeletons could be buried at dera

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20

Dr PR Nain, senior vice-chairperson of Dera Sacha Sauda, disclosed during questioning by an SIT of the Sirsa police yesterday that around 600 skeletons could be buried in the dera.

However, Nain said these were bones of devotees who were buried by their family members in the dera out of faith for “Moksha” (salvation).

“They have a complete record of the persons whose bones were buried in the dera headquarters. Nain also submitted a list to the police,” said Kuldeep Beniwal, DSP, who heads the SIT that questioned Nain.

A day before the search operation began in the dera under the supervision of AKS Pawar, Court Commissioner appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Dera Sacha Sauda’s mouthpiece “Sach Kahoon” had admitted that human remains were buried on the dera premises.

The newspaper, while defending the action of the dera management in burying human remains, claimed that this was done as sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh encouraged his followers to donate their remains to the sect for burial and prevent these from being immersed in rivers, causing pollution.

It stated human remains were buried on the dera premises and trees were planted on these.

Nain’s revelations assume significance in the light of allegations levelled by Khatta Singh, a former driver of Ram Rahim Singh, that several people were murdered at the instance of the dera head and their bodies buried in the dera.

Khatta Singh had served as a Ram Rahim’s driver for 9 years. He has moved an application before the Special CBI Court to allow him to depose as a witness in the two murder cases against the dera head being heard these days.

He revealed that a teenage boy, Gora Singh, was among those who were murdered at the instance of Ram Rahim. He was shot dead and then his body was buried in the dera.

Followers blocked our way: Scribes

Chandigarh: Some mediapersons, who went to Dera Sacha Sauda for coverage on Wednesday, alleged in a police complaint that some Premis blocked their way to harm them. Arun Bhardwaj, a local journalist who was among nearly 10 mediapersons from TV channels to visit the dera, said had they not sped away in their vehicles, they could have been harmed. “We went to the dera to shoot the area where its authorities said human bones were buried and trees were planted. As we were filming the area, a group of 10 to 12 dera followers blocked the road for our exit with drums and a bicycle. As they were busy calling other devotees, we managed to escape in our vehicles,” he said. TNS