Attaching assets: Shah Mastana’s followers move HC

Attaching assets: Shah Mastana’s followers move HC

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 23

Followers of Shah Mastana, founder of Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa, yesterday moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking exemption of their deras from possible attachment.

The High Court had less than a month ago asked the deputy commissioners in both Punjab and Haryana to supply a list of dera assets and properties, including incomes and bank accounts, that could be considered for attachment for damage caused during violence and arson post-Ram Rahim’’s conviction for rape. Till then, no properties to be sold, transferred, alienated or encumbered in any manner, the Bench had made it clear.

The followers, in an application filed before the High Court, claimed they have no connection with Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Shah Mastana constructed about 17 deras in Punjab and Haryana during his life time. These deras were, in fact, established to preach “Ram Naam” and had no commercial value. “If there is a requirement to make good the damages caused by followers of Ram Rahim, it should be recovered from his commercial and private properties or from deras built by him, which one more than 20, besides 200 “naam charcha ghar”, they added.