3 women among 12 dera followers held on sedition charges

PANIPAT: The Panipat police have arrested 12 Dera Sacha Sauda followerswhoallegedlygaveprovocative speeches and instigated others in the run-up to the pronouncement of verdict by the CBI court in Panchkula on August 25 in a rape case against dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

The accused, including three women, have been booked under sedition charges.

The accused have been identified as Munish Insan, Boby Insan, Subhash Kumar Insan, Bhupendra Insan, Jitendra, Suresh, Inder Singh, Mahabir Singh, Kamlesh Devi, Saroj and Bunty, all residents of Panipat district.

Sources in the police said Bunty, a girl from Samalkha town of the district, had come into limelight after her video went viral on the social media wherein she is seen making anti-national remarks during a meeting of dera followers on August 20 at Panipat.

Bunty and others had also warned the government of dire consequences if the self-styled godman was held guilty in the rape case, Panipat city police station in-charge Suresh Saini said.

Police said the accused have beenbookedunderSections124A, (sedition), 144 (joining unlawful assembly with weapon), 153 A (provokewithintenttocauseriot), 149, 506 and 120 B of the IPC.

Panipatdeputysuperintendent of police (DSP) Atma Ram said theyhadheldameetingonAugust 20 and the police had accessed the video in which they made anti-national comments.

He said further investigations are being carried out in the matter.