Dera chief’s aide held; cops hope for clues on Honeypreet

CHANDIGARH: A close aide of jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was nabbed from Sirsa, Haryana police officials said on Thursday while expressing hope that the fresh arrest could help them trace the absconding Honeypreet Insan. “Rakesh, a close aide of Dera chief has been arrested from Sirsa,” a senior police official said.

He added that Rakesh’s arrest could help the police get clues about the whereabouts of Ram Rahim Singh’s absconding adopted daughter Honeypreet and another key Dera functionary Aditya Insan.

Both are wanted in connection with the violence that broke out in Panchkula on August 25 after Ram Rahim Singh was convicted in a rape case.

The police said that another person was also arrested in connection with the violence. “Rohtash has been arrested from Panchkula,” Haryana DCP Manbir Singh said.

He was allegedly involved in inciting violence and arson, the DCP said.

The Haryana Police has arrested over 1000 people in connection with the violence in Panchkula, which left 35 dead.

The violence had broken out after Ram Rahim Singh was held guilty by a special CBI court. Six persons had died in incidents of violence in Sirsa.

The Dera head is serving a 20 years jail sentence for raping two disciples.

The Haryana Police also said on Thursday that it was probing the authenticity of some “threat letters” sent to a section of the media.

The assurance came after a delegation of journalists met Haryana ADGP (law and order) Mohd Akil here on Thursday.

The delegation was led by Chandigarh Press Club president Jaswant Rana, who brought to the ADGP’S notice that in these hand written letters, it was mentioned that a “Qurbani gang” will eliminate journalists and harm their families for speaking against Ram Rahim Singh.

The letter named some TV channels claiming that they had defamed their “Guru”.

Rana said that they also met Punjab Police intelligence wing chief Dinkar Gupta and brought the matter to his notice.

“In our meeting with ADGP Akil, we told them that some media houses had received a hand written letter allegedly written by the so-called Qurbani gang threatening to eliminate journalists and harming their families, for showing content against the Dera chief after he was convicted,” he said.

Rana said that both Akil and Gupta assured that they will examine the matter.

“We have launched investigations into the matter. We will investigate whether any thing like the Qurbani gang exists or not. And if it exists, then what they do,” ADGP Akil said.

So far there is no intelligence input that journalists covering the Dera Sacha Sauda related events can be physically harmed, he said. Akil, however, added that they will analyse the threat perception and accordingly decide on providing security to those who may need it. NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said the government is finalising electoral bonds scheme, a move aimed at cleaning up political funding.

“I have already announced this year and I am keen to implement it. It is in final stages. How do we legitimise political funding in India so that the underground funding itself comes to an end and an alternate mechanism is set in,” he said at the book release titled ‘India@70 Modi@3.5’.

As per the electoral bond mechanism announced in the budget, the proposed bonds will resemble a promissory note and not an interest-paying debt instrument.

They will be sold by authorised banks and can be deposited in notified accounts of political parties within the duration of their validity.

The bonds will not carry the name of the donor and routing of the money through banks will ensure that only tax paid money comes into the political system.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also said that the government is trying to maintain a balance between accelerating the pace of economy and taking care of the needs of the poor.