SIT names dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim as accused in ‘bir’ theft case

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, July 6

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Monday nominated Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim as an accused in the “bir” theft case of June 2015.

A “bir” of Guru Granth Sahib was stolen from a gurdwara at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village in the district on June 1, 2015. Later on October 12, torn pages of the “bir” were found scattered near a gurdwara at Bargari village.

Two days ago, the SIT had arrested seven dera followers in the case. It produced a challan (chargesheet) against them in the court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) here today.

Ranbir Singh Khattra, DIG and SIT head, said the investigation so far and confessional statements of the accused revealed that three sacrilege incidents at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and Bargari villages of Faridkot in 2015 were executed in consultation with the dera chief.

It is alleged that under a conspiracy, the national committee of the dera had directed the block committee to execute the sacrilege acts after some dera followers at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village had removed their “sacred” threads and lockets (given to them by the dera) allegedly on the persuasion of a Sikh preacher.

A total of 11 persons have been nominated as accused in the case. While seven of them were arrested two days ago, one Mohinder Pal Bittu was killed in Nabha jail last year. The dera chief is presently lodged in the Rohtak district prison in Sunaria after his conviction in a rape case and the SIT is yet to arrest the remaining three accused.

On Monday, the SIT moved an application in a local court to procure the arrest warrant of Harsh Dhuri, Pardeep Kaler and Sandeep Bareta, all executive members of the national committee of the dera.

Meanwhile, the SIT is yet to take a decision on questioning the dera chie, even as it has already taken the permission from a local court to question him.

Probing the incidents of police firing at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura, the SIT had claimed that several witnesses had named the dera chief. So his questioning was necessary to unravel the plot behind the police firing incidents and identify the conspirators, the SIT had maintained, describing the dera chief as a “suspect” at that time. However, even one year after getting the permission, the SIT is yet to question Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

Probe, statements indict Ram Rahim

Ranbir Singh Khattra, DIG and SIT head, said the investigation so far and confessional statements of the accused revealed that three sacrilege incidents at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and Bargari villages of Faridkot in 2015 were executed in consultation with the dera chief.

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