Sedition charges slapped on Premis

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 29

The Panchkula police have tightened their grip around dera followers who went on the rampage in the city after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted on August 25.

In the latest development, the Panchkula police have now slapped sedition charges on 137 dera followers, who were arrested on August 25 and 26.

A majority of the dera followers booked under sedition charges are from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Initially, the Panchkula police had registered FIRs under Sections 146 (rioting), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence commit­ted in prosecution of common object), 186 (obstructing a public servant in the discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty), 307 (attempt to murder) and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house) and under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and the Arms Act.

Now, the police have slapped sedition charges under Sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage a war or abetting waging of a war against the Government of India), 121 A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable under Section 121) and 122 (collecting arms with intention of waging a war against the Government of India) of the IPC on these dera followers. The police have also informed the Panchkula court about it. 

A senior Panchkula police official said they slapped sedition charges after further investigation in these cases. The investigation in some cases was still pending and if something substantiate was found against the accused, the sedition charges would be slapped on them as well, he said.

Public urged to provide videos, CCTV footage  

Panchkula: Police Commissioner AS Chawla has appealed to residents to submit video recordings captured by them on their mobile phones and recordings in CCTV cameras installed outside their shops/houses and offices during the violence by dera followers in Panchkula on August 25. The police have given their mail ID [email protected] and WhatsApp No. 8146631013 on which the residents can submit these recordings. The Panchkula Police Commissioner said these recordings could help the police identify people who damaged properties and vehicles in the city. The identity of the person would be kept secret, he assured. TNS

Top dera functionaries plotted violence 

The Panchkula police informed the court that top dera functionaries of Sirsa and Panchkula had plotted the violence. Dera followers reportedly told the police that the dera management had conveyed to them to start violence if the court verdict went against the dera chief.

Had planned to help dera chief escape 

Dera followers told the police that with the use of arms and petrol bombs, there was a planning of the dera management to help the dera chief escape from police custody. “Vandalising of vehicles, government property and targeting policemen and paramilitary forces were also part of the dera management’s planning,” the dera followers told the police.