Curious case of Vipassana Insan

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21

The case of Dera Sacha Sauda chairperson Vipassana Insan is a curious one for the Haryana Police. She is “hiding” for the police force of one district, but available for questioning for the police of other district.

The Panchkula police on Tuesday got Vipassana’s arrest warrant extended till April 20 by moving an application before a local court, saying she is wanted in connection with violence in Panchkula on August 25 last year after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction in two rape cases.

Before this, the police had claimed to have raided Vipassana’s possible hideouts in Sirsa, but she could not be found.

Vipassana appeared before an SIT of the Sirsa police on February 14. She was reportedly quizzed on her role in violence and disappearance of vital evidence from the dera before a search operation.

The SIT had summoned her by serving a notice on the dera vice-chairperson Shobha, asking Vipassana to appear for questioning before February 15.

But she appeared a day before the deadline.

After her questioning, Vipassana reportedly gave the police in writing she would not leave Sirsa and appear before the police as and when needed.

When a team of the Panchkula police went to Sirsa to arrest her the same day (February 14), she again “disappeared” and the police party had to return empty-handed.

Sirsa SP Simardeep Singh said, “We could not have arrested her (on February 14) as we did not have a warrant.”

Asked whether or not the Sirsa police have given the clean chit to Vipassana in case of violence and disappearance of evidence from the dera, the SP replied in the negative and said she could be summoned again for questioning.

He said the Sirsa police had informed their Panchkula counterparts about Vipassana’s appearance on February 14.

Panchkula Commissioner of Police Arshinder Singh Chawla, however, said that by the time, a police party from Panchkula reached Sirsa to arrest Vipassana, she had left.

“The Sirsa police told our people that she left early because of indisposition. May be the Sirsa police did not feel it necessary to arrest her that day. Tomorrow, they may need her arrest. It is all part of investigation,” Chawla said.

A senior criminal lawyer, requesting anonymity, said the Sirsa police had helped Vipassana’s cause, inadvertently or intentionally. “If she files an anticipatory bail plea, she can claim she was not evading arrest as she has been questioned by the police only a week ago,” he added.

Always elusive

• Vipassana appeared before an SIT of the Sirsa police on February 14. She was reportedly quizzed on her role in violence and disappearance of vital evidence from the dera
• When a team of the Panchkula police went to Sirsa to arrest her the same day, she “disappeared”
• Panchkula Commissioner of Police Arshinder Singh Chawla said that by the time, a police party from Panchkula reached Sirsa to arrest Vipassana, she had left