Jagmalwali dera row deepens as villagers declare new chief

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, August 5

The controversy over the leadership of Mastana Shah Balochistani Dera in Jagmalwali, valued between Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,500 crore, is intensifying.

Leadership controversy

• Dera followers from Jagmalwali, Assir, Pipli, and Makha villages have declared Gurpreet, the nephew of former dera chief Manager Sahib, as the new head
• Bahadur Chand Vakil Sahib’s son Omprakash, nephew Sanjay Singh, and another nephew, Vishnu, have said Virendra Singh was the rightful heir as per Vakil Sahib’s will

Assets worth over ~1,200 cr

Amar Singh, Vakil Sahib’s nephew, said Jagmalwali Dera’s total assets exceed ~1,200 crore, including approximately 150 acres in Jagmalwali and branches in Delhi’s Keshavpuram and Bajitpur, along with 15 to 20 deras in Delhi, UP, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab

Recently, villagers declared Gurpreet, the nephew of former dera chief Manager Sahib, as the new head. However, Bahadur Chand Vakil Sahib’s son Omprakash, nephew Sanjay Singh, and another nephew, Vishnu, countered this by stating that according to Vakil Sahib’s will, Virendra is the rightful heir. They also refuted claims that Vakil Sahib passed away on July 21.

On Sunday, about 200 followers from villages Jagmalwali, Assir, Pipli, and Makha gathered at the dera. Pawan, a follower from Dabwali, said Manager Sahib had promised to repay the villagers for their service to the dera. Following this, the followers declared Gurpreet Singh as the new chief, despite his absence.

Omprakash and Vishnu emphasised that they met Vakil Sahib on July 31 when he was still alive and that politics over the dera’s throne is tarnishing its reputation. They insisted that the final decision should be left to the followers and trustees.

Omprakash criticised the spread of false information and called for trustees to come forward under police protection. He stressed that their family has no interest in the throne but wants the truth to emerge.

Vishnu mentioned that Vakil Sahib had shown him a diary years ago, indicating that Virendra Singh had donated Rs 1 lakh to the dera and served it for 25 years. He urged Virendra Singh to present the will and satisfy the followers, as their decision is paramount.

Vishnu alleged Amar Singh is not Vakil Sahib’s nephew but a neighbour motivated by jealousy towards Virendra Singh. He mentioned that Sumer Singh, a close associate present during the will’s drafting, should verify its authenticity.

Meanwhile, Amar Singh supported the decision to appoint Gurpreet Singh as the new chief, insisting that medical reports confirm Vakil Sahib’s death on July 21.