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Dera Sirsa head's credentials:
Murderer, rapist,
molestation-accused
WSN Network
SIRSA: Dera
Sirsa chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim is accused of murder, rape and sexual
exploitation in three separate cases filed by the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) in the court at Ambala (Haryana). In all the
three cases, the CBI, which was asked to probe the charges against
the sect chief following directions from the
Punjab
and Haryana High Court, filed the chargesheet in a CBI court last
year in July. However, the charges against the dera head are yet to
be framed by the CBI court.
The CBI has
booked the Dera chief under Sections 302, 120-B and 376 of the IPC,
among others. The case, which will come up for hearing before the
CBI Judge at Ambala next month in July, is at the argument stage.
After the arguments by the defence and prosecution are complete, the
CBI Judge will decide whether to try the dera head or discharge him.
After the CBI
filed the chargesheet against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the CBI
Special Judge at Ambala granted him regular bail in September last
year. The CBI, however, did not challenge this in the appellate
court. The Dera head, meanwhile, also moved the HC for quashing of
the charges. The petition was later withdrawn.
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Details of
cases
The Dera
chief is the main accused in a rape case. In 2002, the HC
ordered the CBI to probe allegations of sexual exploitation made
in an anonymous letter by a sadhvi. The letter was treated as a
PIL by the HC, which initially got the matter inquired by the
Sirsa District and Sessions Judge.
The CBI has
filed a chargesheet under Section 376 of the IPC.
Gurmeet Ram
Rahim is an accused in a case of murder of a dera manager,
Ranjit Singh, in 2002. Ranjit Singh was murdered while he was
working in his fields in Kurukshetra. Ranjit was suspected to
have leaked an anonymous letter written to the Prime Minister by
a sadhvi, alleging rape by the sect head. The case is being
heard by the CBI court.
The sect
head is accused of murder in another case of a Sirsa-based
journalist in October 2002. Ram Chandar Chhatarpati, the editor
of Poora Sach, was shot at by two men, who were later arrested.
Chhatarpati had done a series of stories on the dera and had
also published allegations of rape and sexual exploitation
against the head.
According to
the CBI, the weapon, a revolver, used in the crime was licensed
in the name of a dera official. The walkie-talkie used in the
crime was also licensed in the name of the dera, the CBI said. A
chargesheet has been filed.
Sirsa dera
head is also an accused in a case under Section 295 for hurting
religious sentiments. He had imitated the tenth Sikh Guru and
had enraged the entire Sikh community. |
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25
June, 2008
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