CBI court summons Sirsa dera chief, two others on Feb 28
Hearing to consider framing of charges after central investigating agency filed challan on Feb 1; Ram Rahim to appear through videoconferencing
PANCHKULA: A special CBI court has summoned rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and two others on February 28 for a hearing on framing of charges against them for castration of devotees.
Judicial magistrate Kapil Rathi has directed Sunaria jail superintendent in Rohtak, where Gurmeet is currently lodged for 20 years, to produce him through videoconferencing to ensure there are no security issues.
The summons come after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) moved a challan on February 1, naming Gurmeet as the prime accused in a case of forced castration of his devotees in the early 2000s.
The challan names Dr Pankaj Garg and Dr MP Singh, who were employed in a hospital inside the Sirsa-based dera, as co-accused. Dr Singh, alias Mahender Insan, has been directed to appear through videoconferencing.
Dr Singh is in judicial custody in Ambala jail following his arrest on January 7 for alleged involvement in conspiring and inciting violence in Panchkula on August 25, 2017.
Dr Garg is likely to file for anticipatory bail. The dera chief is appearing through videoconferencing in two other trials for
THE CBI BEGAN PROBING THE 1999 CASE IN 2015 ON THE DIRECTIONS OF THE PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT
murder in the CBI court of Jagdeep Singh at the Panchkula district court.
The CBI has charged Gurmeet and the others with criminal conspiracy (section 120-B), voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means (section 326), cheating by impersonation (section 416) and criminal intimidation (section 506).
The CBI began probing the matter in 2015 on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court after hearing a petition from the dera chief’s ex-follower Hans Raj Chauhan in July 2012.
‘MAKE DEVOTEES DEPENDENT ON DERA’ The document adds that the dera chief resorted to castration of sewadars from 1999-2000 onwards to emasculate them so that they could not leave Dera and become entirely dependent upon them for the rest of their lives. It also revealed that dera chief promoted castration to