CBI court junks bail plea of dera chief’s aide

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, February 21

The Special CBI Court here today dismissed the anticipatory bail application filed by Dr Pankaj Garg, co-accused in castration of Dera Sacha Sauda followers.

Recently, the CBI had filed a chargesheet against dera chief, who was charged as prime accused in the case along with his two aides, Dr MP Singh, alias Mahender Insan, and Dr Pankaj Garg. They were accused of castrating nearly 400 dera followers.

The chargesheet was filed under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 417 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and substantive offences thereof in this case.

Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is presently lodged in Sunaria Jail in Rohtak in connection with rapes of two sadhvis. Another accused, MP Singh, is currently in judicial custody in Ambala Jail in connection with violence that took place in Panchkula on August 25 last year. The third accused, Dr Pankaj Garg, is yet to be arrested.

On December 23, 2014, the High Court had ordered a CBI probe into the charges of forced castration of dera followers on a petition filed by Hansraj Chauhan.