Panchkula violence: Top dera functionary held from Sirsa

PANCHKULA : The special investigation team (SIT) of the Haryana Police on Tuesday arrested a top functionary of Dera Sacha Sauda, Naveen alias Gobi Ram, from Sirsa bus stand in connection with the Panchkula violence.

Assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Adarshdeep Singh, who is SIT head, said Gobi Ram was close aide of dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, and was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000. He had played a major role in Panchkula violence on August 25 last year. The SIT will produce the accused before Panchkula court on Wednesday and will seek his maximum police remand, he added. The accused was wanted in FIR number 345, which was lodged at Sector 5 Police station, Panchkula.

On Saturday, the SIT had arrested another dera functionary, Gulab Singh in the Panchkula violence case from Zirakpur. In the same FIR, Honeypreet Insan and dera spokesperson Dr Aditya Insan are among the accused.

While Honeypreet is in jail, a local court in May had declared Aditya Insan as proclaimed offender, nine months after the police failed to arrest him for his role in inciting violence.

The dera chief’s conviction in the 2002 rape cases had triggered arson and violence in Panchkula and other parts of Haryana, which claimed 36 lives and left 250 people injured.

One of the former dera aides, Kulwant Singh, who has turned prosecution witness, had deposed before the court in May, that Naveen alias Gobi Ram, visited his place on August 18 after a meeting at the dera on August 17 which was attended by the dera chief, Aditya Insan, Honeypreet and others.

It was decided in the meeting that dera followers carrying sticks, umbrellas and chilli powder should throng Panchkula by August 25 and go on the rampage if the dera head was held guilty and arrested, he added.