Akshay denies meeting dera head; SIT says have proof to summon him

The actor’s name was mentioned in the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission report, it is alleged he mediated a meeting between Ram Rahim and Sukhbir before release of MSG2

CHANDIGARH: The summons issued to actor Akshay Kumar by the special investigation team (SIT) of the Punjab Police probing the 2015 police firing incidents at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan in Faridkot district, has snowballed into a bigger controversy.

The SIT has asked Akshay to come on November 21 to the Circuit House in Amritsar to record his statement in connection with his alleged links with rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The actor’s name had figured in the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission report tabled in the state assembly in August this year, after which the SIT was formed. On Monday afternoon, Akshay tweeted a statement denying any links with the dera head.

“It has come to my knowledge that some rumours and false statements are being made loosely on the social media about my involvement with a person named Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the context of a fictitious meeting with Sukhbir Singh Badal. I have never met Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in my life, anywhere,” Akshay tweeted.

In a letter to the Ranjit panel, dated October 9, 2017, former MLA Harbans Jalal had said that a meeting purportedly took place at the Mumbai residence of the actor for the release of sect head’s movie “MSG-2 The Messenger” in Punjab where Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and the dera chief were present.

The movie was released in Punjab after Gurmeet Ram Rahim was granted pardon by the Akal Takht in a 2007 blasphemy case.

The pardon was later revoked following backlash from Sikh organisations. Indicating the involvement of dera followers in the sacrilege cases, the Ranjit panel report has concluded that the pardon “played the role of catalyst in sacrilege incidents”.

Akshay’s wife, actor-turnedwriter Twinkle Khanna, had tweeted a picture of Gurmeet Ram Rahim on January 11, 2017, captioned: “Members of the Monosodium Club and I are blessed — HE has moved into our hood!”

Reacting to this, Akshay said:

We are not going by Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report but evidence recorded by us; a tweet cannot be taken as a statement, Akshay will have to appear in person to answer queries that we have. KUNWAR VIJAY PRATAP SINGH, SIT member

“I have learnt from the social media that at some point, Gurmeet Ram Rahim resided at some place in my locality, Juhu, in Mumbai, but we have never crossed each other’s paths.”

SIT member Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who has issued summons, said they are not going by what’s there in the Ranjit commission report.

“We have issued summons to the actor based on evidence recorded by us. A tweet cannot be taken as statement. Akshay will have to appear in person to answer questions,” he said.

In an interview to HT on August 26, the actor had said: “I have not seen or read any such report (sacrilege report had been leaked online then) but if all this is written, I find it most amusing. I have never met this person, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, ever in my life. I have met Sukhbir once or twice and that too at public functions. So, all this is clearly somebody’s wild imagination working overtime.”

Akshay concluded his Monday’s tweet saying he has dedicated many films to Punjabi culture and is a proud Punjabi. “I would never do anything that even remotely hurts the sentiments of my Punjabi brothers and sisters. What I have said is utmost truth. I challenge anyone to prove it otherwise.”

Jalal had confirmed writing the letter when he appeared before the commission on October 17 last year.

However, he failed to turn up when summoned by the panel for examination as a witness.