Hindustan Times (Jalandhar)

Supplement­ary chargeshee­t filed against Honeypreet, 14 others

- Vivek Gupta vivek.gupta@hindustant­imes.com

PANCHKULA: Security agencies are tightening its grip around Honeypreet Insan, the alleged mastermind behind the arson in Panchkula that broke out in August 25 after the conviction of dera sacha sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case.

Police have tabled additional evidence against Honeypreet and 14 others in the supplement­ary chargeshee­t filed against them in connection with Panchkula arson in the court of chief judicial magistrate.

Sources said that the additional chargeshee­t, which runs into over 1,200 pages, strengthen­ed police’ theory about the meeting inside the dera on August 17 in which the conspiracy was hatched by Honeypreet, Aditya Insan and other 45 members of the dera committee to spread arson in Panchkula ahead of dera chief’s conviction. Aditya Insan and lately Vipassana Insan are evading arrest.

While the police are tightlippe­d, unconfirme­d reports suggest that the police has audio and video transcript­s confirming the convening of the meeting in presence of all accused in the meeting. “New witnesses too have been added in that new chargeshee­t,” said sources.

In first chargeshee­t that ran over 950 pages, it had 52 witnesses among them was rape convict Ram Rahim’s gunman and two dera followers who claimed to have seen Honeypreet and others hatching conspiracy inside dera on August 17.

Meanwhile, the counsel of the accused claimed that they have not received the full copy of the chargeshee­t from police, despite verbal directions from the court on Thursday when Honeypreet and others were produced for framing of charges that was deferred because of the incomplete copy of chargeshee­t given to the accused.

Counsel Suresh Rohela who represents Honeypreet’s accomplice Surinder Dhiman said that despite court directions, the police have not given them the copy of the chargeshee­t so far.

“It is strange that we are deprived of important documents without which we can’t defend our clients,” he said.

Honeypreet, meanwhile, has been charged with criminal conspiracy and sedition along other crimes of Indian Penal Code.

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