Row hits Dera Sachkhand Ballan over embezzlement

Tribune News Service

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Jalandhar, June 14

Just as the 10th death anniversary of slain Sant Ramanand, who was deputy head of Dera Sachkhand Ballan, has passed, a controversy has hit the dera’s functioning.

Brahm Parkash, who is the brother of Sant Ramanand, today raised a demand that the administration should appoint a receiver for the dera, alleging financial embezzlement within.

Along with members of Sant Ramanand Mission Society, Brahm Parkash alleged that some persons in the dera had also wrongly withdrawn funds from the bank account of Sant Ramanand.

The members said they had written to chief Niranjan Dass to remove these persons from the dera.

Ramesh Kala, chief of Sant Ramanand Mission, alleged that all social and philanthropic works, such as for education of poor children and marriage of poor girls that were being undertaken in the dera had come to a halt over the past few years.

They also alleged that his pictures that were earlier put up all around the dera were being removed. A trustee of the dera, Satpal Virdi, rejected all allegations as fictitious and baseless.

“Sant Ramanand is highly revered by all devotees and his pictures had not been removed. Some people are using Brahm Parkash to malign the image of the dera, which continues to remain engaged in welfare works,” he said.