P’kula violence at dera chief’s behest, former aides tell court

PANCHKULA: Two former aides of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, while deposing before the Judicial Magistrate, Panchkula, under Section 164 of the CrPC, have reportedly said the Dera chief had directed Dr Aditya Insan and Honeypreet to orchestrate arson and rioting in Panchkula on August 25 last year, if held guilty of raping two sadhvis.

Vehicles set on fire following Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s conviction in Panchkula on August 25, 2017. A file photo

Rajinder S Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, May 26

Two former aides of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, while deposing before the Judicial Magistrate, Panchkula, under Section 164 of the CrPC, have reportedly said the Dera chief had directed Dr Aditya Insan and Honeypreet to orchestrate arson and rioting in Panchkula on August 25 last year, if held guilty of raping two sadhvis. Thirty-six persons were killed and 200 wounded in protests that erupted in the city after the verdict by a CBI court.

While Honeypreet, the “adopted” daughter of Ram Rahim is now lodged in the Ambala jail, Aditya has absconded. The police have declared a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information about his whereabouts.

The dera head’s former aides — Subhash Chander, a resident of Hisar, and Kulwant Singh, employed at the Sirsa dera — have turned prosecution witnesses.

Subhash Chander, the dera’s village unit in-charge, reportedly told the court that at a meeting fixed by Rakesh alias Gurleen (also in police custody) in August last, the ‘godman’ directed Dr Aditya to work out a plan so that dera functioning remained unaffected in the eventuality of an adverse judgment against him.

The other prosecution witness Kulwant Singh said that Naveen alias Gobi Ram, who too has absconded

and carries a reward of Rs 1 lakh, visited his place on August 18 after a meeting at the dera on August 17 which was attended by the dera chief, Aditya Insan, Honeypreet and others. It was decided there that dera followers carrying sticks, umbrellas and chilli powder should throng Panchkula by August 25 and go on the rampage if the dera head was held guilty and arrested. Kulwant claimed he did not go to Panchkula on August 25.

The Haryana SIT, meanwhile, filed a supplementary charge-sheet against Rakesh alias Gurleen, a close aide of the dera chief, on Friday. Rakesh, in a statement to the police, has too held the dera chief responsible for the Panchkula violence

Panchkula Police Commissioner AS Chawla said a few witnesses had named dera chief in connection with the Panchkula violence and the police were working on the leads provided by them. “As of now, the dera chief has not been named as an accused in the violence,” he clarified.