Sedition charges dropped against 19 more accused

A district court here dropped the sedition charges against key aides of rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim, besides other followers in yet another case pertaining to Panchkula violence.

This is the third case where sedition charges have been dropped against dera’s key functionaries who, along with huge number of dera followers, were involved in instigating violence following conviction of the dera chief in a rape case on August 25 last year.

The violence claimed 36 lives besides injuring large number of people and huge damage to public property

Dera’s Panchkula in-charge Chamkaur Singh, media coordinator Surender Dhiman, Dilawar Saroha Insan, were among 19 accused who have been discharged of section 121 (waging war against the state), section 121A (conspiracy to wage war), 124 (sedition) in the FIR that was registered for rioting at Hafed chowk near sector 5.

The court however has charged them for rioting (Sections147, 148), unlawful assembly (section 149), attempt to murder (section 307) and criminal conspiracy (120B), among others. The court has now fixed August 6 for proseuction witness.

The reason for dropping the sedition charges is the same in all the cases.

As per norms, the permission of state government is mandatory to prosecute accused with sedition charges. The prosecution failed to defend sedition charges in these cases because the state govenrment did not give prosecution sanction, even as the Haryana Police pushed for permission.

THIS IS THIRD CASE WHERE SEDITION CHARGES HAVE BEEN DROPPED AGAINST DERA FOLLOWERS