Punjab and Haryana High Court to hear plea alleging ‘replacement’ of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim

Tribune News Service

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, July 2

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday will hear a writ petition filed by "staunch followers” of Dera Sacha Sauda alleging the replacement of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh with a "dummy person".

In the petition filed before the High Court against the State of Haryana and other respondents, Ashok Kumar and 18 other petitioners have sought directions to "verify the authenticity of the Dera chief". Directions have also been sought to the State and other respondents to conduct a fair and impartial inquiry into the matter as the “dummy person” in collusion with some others was deeply hurting religious sentiments of the petitioners and other followers.

The petitioners alleged that they came to know through some unconfirmed sources that the original Dera chief had been abducted to Udaipur, Rajasthan, and now they were planning to replace the dummy person with the original. 

It was added the petitioners as well as other followers noticed various changes in the figure, personality, etc., of the Dera chief. The height had increased by an inch, the length of the fingers and size of the feet too had increased. Bare perusal of the videos and photographs published by alleged Dera chief/dummy person during the present parole period clearly revealed that his face and hands had a makeover or masking that changed from video to video.

Moreover, during a meeting with his villagers, alleged Dera chief/dummy person even failed to recognise his old friends. It was an admitted fact that Dera chief was known for his bold and clear statements. But during the present parole period, alleged Dera chief/dummy person himself contradicted the earlier statements.

The petition has been placed before the High Court Bench of Justice Karamjit Singh and is scheduled to be heard in the pre-lunch session.

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