ED, I-T dept should look into Dera sanitisation report for violations

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 27

Just about a fortnight after Dera Sacha Sauda’s sanitisation was carried out under scrutiny of a retired judicial officer, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday made it clear that the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department would look into its report to check for violations.

As a petition filed in public interest on the issue came up for resumed hearing, a Full Bench of the High Court said the sanitisation report would be handed over to the Union of India, the State of Haryana and the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Subsequently, the Income Tax department and the Enforcement Directorate would scrutinise the report and look at the funds and properties to see whether there was violation of the Income Tax Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act before initiating the required action.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The Bench also asked the Haryana government to look into a media report stating that successive governments extended favours to facilitate constructions in the Dera. The Bench also asked the Haryana government to make clear its stand whether any movable property was removed from the Sirsa-based Dera before the inspection was carried out by the Court Commissioner.

Referring to the damage to private and public properties in the riots following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the Bench asked the states of Punjab and Haryana to set up tribunals.

Among other things, the tribunals to be set up on the judicial side would look into the damage to private and public properties, besides perceptible and imperceptible damage as a result of the violence. The tribunals, after assessing the extent of damage, would submit reports to the High Court. The Bench also asked the special investigation team of Haryana Police to look into the FIRs registered in Sirsa in case of missing persons.

The Bench of Justice Surya Kant, Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice Avneesh Jhingan had earlier made it clear that the entire process of sanitising the 700-acre Dera headquarters would be carried under the instructions, control and supervision of the Court Commissioner. The Haryana government was also directed to appoint a duty magistrate to facilitate the sanitisation process.

The Bench made it clear that different agencies, including revenue, taxation, forensic experts and paramilitary forces, would be associated in the process to be video-recorded.