CASTRATIONS AT DERA: TWO DOCTORS UNDER CBI SCANNER

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the alleged castration of up to 400 followers of the religious sect Dera Sacha Sauda, has brought two doctors under its scanner for their alleged role in the issue.

The agency wants to verify if the two doctors had supervised the alleged castrations and will seek their statements soon, said a CBI source. The castrations were allegedly performed at a private health facility and the agency is verifying if enticements were employed in the process.

The sect has rejected the allegations.

Acting on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court, the CBI had in January registered a First Information Report against the sect’s head, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, and other unknown persons to probe the alleged castrations. The agency is likely to examine the sect’s chief soon over the allegations.

The court had earlier been petitioned in 2012 by one of the alleged 400 castrated followers, Hans Raj Chauhan, seeking a CBI probe and compensation. The petitioner, a former sect follower, had alleged that around 400 male followers were castrated in Sirsa in 2000.

The court had said the castrations could not be termed as an act of ‘humanity’ even if the followers had given their consent.

After registering the case, a CBI spokesperson had said, “The case has been lodged against the sect chief and others on charges related to criminal conspiracy, voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means, criminal intimidation and cheating.”