Dera violence: Charge sheet against Honeypreet, 14 others

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Haryana police on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against Honeypreet Insan and fourteen others accused in connection with the August 25 violence in Panchkula and Sirsa following Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction.

The violence had left 41 people dead and scores injured.

Honeypreet, who claims to be an adopted daughter of the Dera chief, and eleven others have been charged with sedition, criminal conspiracy, besides other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Three others have been charged under Section 216 of the IPC (Harbouring offender who has escaped from custody or whose apprehension has been ordered) for giving shelter to Honeypreet when she was on the run, Panchkula Police Commissioner A S Chawla said.

The charge sheet was filed by the SIT headed by ACP, Panchkula, Mukesh Malhotra, before the court of chief judicial magistrate in Panchkula.

A lookout notice, and later an arrest warrant, was issued by the Haryana Police against Honeypreet before she was arrested last month.

The Dera chief has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for allegedly raping two female disciples.

Honeypreet and the eleven others, including Dilawar Insan, Surinder Dhiman, and Chamkaur Singh, have been charged under Sections including 121 (waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the government) and 121-A (conspiracy to commit offences) of IPC.

Another key Dera member Aditya Insan, who is absconding, was charged as among the conspirators along with Honeypreet for the violence after Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction.

Honeypreet, whose real name is Priyanka Taneja, currently in judicial remand in the Ambala central jail since October 14, was arrested by the Haryana police on October 4.