Castration case: CBI records Dera chief ’s statement

The CBI, which is probing the alleged forced castration of around 400 followers at Sirsa ashram of Dera Sacha Sauda sect, has recorded the statement of jailed Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in connection with the case.

It may be noted selfstyled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim was on August 28 sentenced to 20 years in jail in a rape case by a special CBI court in Panchkula (Haryana).

With the special court’s permission, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials recorded Mr Singh’s statement at a Rohtak prison where he is serving 20-year jail term, sources said.

The CBI had registered the case in January, 2015, on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana high court. The agency registered the case of alleged criminal conspiracy for voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means among other charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Mr Singh and others.

“Preliminary investigation by the agency revealed that the surgeries were allegedly performed in the presence of twothree doctors. The agency sleuths already ascertained the identity of these doctors,” sources said. They said the agency sleuths have gathered enough evidence pertaining to complaints against the Dera chief.

Sources said the petitioner, Hansraj Chauhan, alleged that around 400 male devotees belonging to states including, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan were allegedly castrated at the Dera headquarters after its head falsely claimed that the “castration would lead to realisation of God through him”.

The enforcement directorate (ED) has also initiated an exercise to identify the movable and immovable assets of Dera sect. The Punjab and Haryana high court recently asked the ED and income tax department to look into allegations of money laundering in the Dera sect’s functioning.