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Ambala (Haryana), Oct 4 (IANS) A special CBI court here Thursday extended the bail of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh till Oct 15. He faces two charges of murder and one of rape.

Thousands of followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect assembled here Thursday as their chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh reached a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court to face two charges of murder conspiracy and one of rape.

Tension built up as an estimated 125,000 sect followers laid virtual siege in this Haryana town, about 45 km from Chandigarh, forcing the closure of several schools and colleges. Defying Section 144 that bans the assembly of five or more people at one place, they gathered at the HUDA ground, just one km from the court campus.

The sect chief arrived at the court complex around 10 a.m. in a cavalcade of cars, including Haryana police and private security. He was sitting on the front seat of his bullet-proof Lexus luxury SUV, dressed in his traditional white robes and headgear.

Some of his supporters were able to reach the court premises despite the security arrangement.

The Dera chief is one of the accused in the charge sheet filed by the CBI in the court here in August this year. He has been charged of conspiracy in the murder of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh in July 2002 and Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chandra Chhatrapati in November 2001.

The Dera chief has also been accused of raping a “sadhvi” (female follower) inside his sprawling and fortified sect campus near Sirsa town in Haryana.

Chandigarh, Aug 23 (IANS) In a surprise development, a Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Thursday refused to take up the bail application of Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh and instead asked the chief justice to transfer the case to another bench of the court.

Justice Surya Kant, in whose court the matter was listed for decision Thursday, heard the sect chief’s lawyers and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel Tuesday, and then refused to take up the matter, saying that he had realised that he had been party to the matter when he was advocate general of Haryana a few years ago.

He said that he had written to the chief justice to transfer the case to another bench of the high court.

The bail application will now come up for hearing after the case is transferred to another bench.

The dera chief’s bail was pending before the court in cases registered by the CBI against the godman for his alleged involvement in two murders and the rape of a woman devotee. The three incidents took place between 2001-04.

The dera chief has been summoned by a special CBI court in Ambala city in Haryana Aug 31 for personal appearance so that he can be served the charge sheet filed by the CBI.

The files relating to the cases had been seen by Justice Surya Kant when he was advocate general of Haryana.

The murders relate to that of the dera chief’s former manager Ranjit Singh in July 2002 and of a journalist, Ram Chandra Chhatrapati, in November 2001.

Dera activists murdered Ranjit Singh allegedly at the behest of the godman, while it is alleged that he got Chhatrapati killed after the latter wrote about shady activities inside the sect headquarters located at Sirsa, 300 km from here.

The rape case relates to allegations by a former female follower that the dera chief had raped her more than once inside the dera premises.

The dera management has so far refuted all these charges.

The sect chief has been involved in a major stand-off with Sikhs since May this year after he portrayed himself as the revered 10th Sikh guru, Gobind Singh.

Ambala, July 31 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against functionaries of the Dera Sacha Sauda religious sect at a special court in this Haryana town in two cases of murder and the rape of a woman sect follower.

The CBI filed the chargesheet Monday night at the residence of the special CBI court judge R.N. Bharti. Dera chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh’s name also figured in it, CBI sources indicated.

The chargesheet was filed hours before the expiry of the July 31 deadline set by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for the CBI to complete investigations against the sect’s top brass.

Ranjit Singh, a former dera member, was allegedly murdered by sect followers in July 2002 as he had highlighted wrongdoings inside the dera headquarters at Sirsa, 300 km from Chandigarh, including sexual exploitation of women devotees by some people in the sect’s management.

Five dera followers were charged with Ranjit Singh’s murder in June.

The names of dera followers also cropped up in the killing of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chandra Chhatrapati, who had reported the wrongdoings inside the dera campus. He was murdered in November 2001.

The CBI also submitted its chargesheet in the rape of a ‘sadhvi’ (woman devotee) inside the dera campus. She, along with other women who were sexually exploited by top dera functionaries, had initially raised their voices against the dera management but were forced out of the sect campus and threatened so that they remained silent.

A former driver of the dera chief, Khatta Singh, spilled the beans in all these cases by recording his statement before a magistrate here earlier this year.

The judge here fixed the next hearing on Aug 31.

The latest development is likely to put Gurmit Ram Rahim, the sect management and the Congress-ruled Haryana government in an embarrassing position as the dera chief has been avoiding legal procedures so far, including his questioning in these cases.

The dera godman, who supported the Congress in the February assembly elections in neighbouring Punjab, enjoys Z-plus security cover from the Haryana police as he got embroiled in a controversy with the Sikh community after portraying himself like 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh in May.

This led to violence in Punjab and Haryana with the Sikh community demanding his arrest and announcing complete boycott of the sect in Punjab.

The dera chief went through the legal formality of being “arrested” and then “bailed out” at his headquarters in Sirsa Monday evening. A Punjab police team had arrived from Bathinda to complete the legal formality.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier granted interim bail to Gurmit Ram Rahim, saying that if the Punjab Police arrested him, he would be given bail immediately.

The police team confiscated his passport and made him officially join the investigation. There was tension among dera followers after the police team arrived to “arrest” him.

Chandigarh, June 29 (IANS) Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Friday accused the Akali Dal government in Punjab of violating his fundamental rights as the ongoing controversy between the sect and Sikhs reached the Punjab and Haryana high court.

The controversial sect chief, who lives at his headquarters near Sirsa town in Haryana, 300 km from here, accused Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of violating his fundamental rights by not allowing him to practise and propagate social, religious and spiritual activities through his sect.

Articles 25 and 26 of the Indian Constitution guarantee the right to freedom of religion and freedom to manage religious affairs.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who commands a wide following, became controversial last month after dressing up as Guru Gobind Singh, angering Sikhs and sparking clashes between Sikh groups and Dera followers.

The Dera godman got relief from the Punjab and Haryana high court Friday through an interim bail on his arrest in a case registered against him by the Punjab police in Bathinda town for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs.

He said he will move a separate application to get the investigation of the case against him transferred to a central agency outside the purview of the state government.

The Badal government had allowed the state police to arrest him following a June 20 non-bailable warrant for his arrest issued by a Bathinda court.

The godman has been accused of blasphemy by attiring himself like 10th Sikh guru Gobind Singh.

In his petition submitted before the high court Friday, the dera chief stated, “The Punjab government headed by the Akali-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) combine has granted sanction in this regard and thereby wants to stop the petitioner from practising and propagating social, religious and spiritual activities of Dera Sacha Sauda.”

The sect – which claims entries in the Guinness records and Limca book of records for the biggest ever blood donation camps in the service of humanity organised – has said that it is being hounded by the Akali government as the Akalis thought that the Dera management sided with the Congress in the state assembly elections held in February.

“The case is politically motivated,” the Dera chief said in his petition. The godman alleged he was getting threats and feared for his life.

The Dera chief also offered to join investigations into the case against him with the Punjab police “as and when required by the police.”

The Dera chief said he had never intentionally dressed up like the 10th Sikh guru. The godman claimed he had even apologised for hurting Sikh sentiments but the Akal Takht – the highest temporal seat of Sikhs – had earlier rejected his apologies….

By Jaideep Sarin IANS

Chandigarh, June 29 (IANS) The Punjab and Haryana High Court Friday granted interim bail till Aug 6 to Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, who was also asked to immediately surrender his passport.

Justice L.N. Mittal stayed the controversial Dera chief’s arrest – on charges of hurting religious sentiments of the Sikh community – even as a lower court in Bathinda town in south Punjab, 250 km from here, gave the Punjab Police the go ahead to implement a non-bailable arrest warrant issued by it on June 20.

The Dera chief, who found himself at the centre of a huge controversy after he attired himself like the 10th Sikh guru Gobind Singh, leading to weeklong violence in Punjab, resides on the outskirts of Sirsa town in neighbouring Haryana in a sprawling mini city that is the headquarters of his sect.

The relief from the high court came after some sect followers moved an application on his behalf seeking anticipatory bail for their spiritual head.

They alleged that the case registered against Ram Rahim Singh in Bathinda was politically motivated. Though the case was not listed for hearing Friday, the petitioners moved another application seeking an early hearing.

The Dera chief had issued two reluctant apologies to the Sikh leadership, but they were not accepted by the Akal Takht – highest temporal seat of Sikhism – and Sikh clergy.

The Bathinda court had issued the arrest warrants against the Dera chief June 20 and the Punjab government Wednesday night gave its clearance to the state police to arrest him. The arrest warrant was valid till July 1.

Senior Punjab police officers confirmed to IANS that they were preparing to arrest the Dera chief when the stay order came.

Since his arrest was likely to be opposed by thousands of sect followers, the Punjab Police was working out modalities to deal with an explosive situation.

The Punjab Police was likely to seek the help of its Haryana counterpart since he resides there.

The Dera chief enjoys tight security provided to him by Haryana Police following death threats after last month’s controversy.

(NEWS ANALYSIS)
By Jaideep Sarin

Chandigarh, June 28 (IANS) The latest move by Akali Dal-led Punjab government Wednesday night, allowing the police to arrest the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, can only worsen the relationship between Sikh hardliners and Dera followers.

The Dera chief – who lives in a sprawling mini-city on the outskirts of Sirsa town in neighbouring Haryana, 300 km from here – is unlikely to give in easily when the policemen try to arrest him.

A Bathinda court issued the arrest warrant June 20. A month before that, the police had registered a case, accusing the Dera chief of hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs.

The warrant is valid till July 1. The sect chief plans to visit Uttar Pradesh and other states during the next three days.

The Punjab police will have to depend on the willingness of their colleagues in Haryana to carry out the arrest.

Before the Punjab government gave the sanction for the arrest, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had ducked the question of helping the Punjab police. He had described the question as “hypothetical”. Now it has become very real, and will probably trouble Hooda quite a bit.

Thousands of sect members who have gathered in Sirsa are likely to physically oppose the arrest of Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh. The sect has over two million followers in Punjab and Haryana. If they turn violent, the two states may see a repeat of the May incidents, when there was widespread violence and arson in the wake of the controversy.

While the Sikh community has maintained its tough stand on the controversy that erupted after the Dera head portrayed himself like the tenth Sikh guru Gobind Singh, Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh himself has perhaps not done enough to resolve the controversy.

He has apologised to the Sikh clergy twice, but both apologies have been interpreted as reluctant. They clearly fell short of the conditions laid down by the Sikh religious leaders.

The ruling Akali Dal is obviously annoyed with the Dera chief, who had sided openly with the Congress in the last assembly election. But the Punjab government cannot wish him away. He has a large following in the state, especially among the poor.

The average resident of Punjab and Haryana can only wait and watch in trepidation as the possibility of violence becomes more real all the time.