Dera chief guards face sedition charges

Chandigarh : Sedition and attempt-to-murder charges have been slapped against seven people, including five Haryana police personnel, who were part of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s security when he had arrived at Panchkula to appear in a CBI court on August 25.

The special CBI court convicted the godman in a 15-year-old rape case. “Sedition charge has been slapped against seven persons, including five Haryana police personnel,” Karambir Singh, Inspector, Panchkula Police (Sector-5), said on Sunday.

The seven security personnel of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had reportedly tried to free him when the godman was brought outside the Panchkula Court complex on Friday. They reportedly got into a scuffle with the Haryana Police when the Dera chief was being taken to the Western Command, from where he was to be taken to the Rohtak jail in a chopper.

However, the securitymen of the Dera chief were overpowered by the policemen. They were produced before the court on Saturday which sent them to seven-day police custody, said Singh. The Haryana police personnel, who were arrested, were in the ranks of sub-inspector, assistant sub-inspector, head constable and constable, he added.

Panchkula’s Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Manbir Singh, who assumed charge on Sunday, said a number of vehicles, including a fire engine, which were part of the Dera chief’s cavalcade, were impounded on Friday.

Asked if any inflammable chemical was recovered from the fire engine, the DCP said, “There are two large tanks in the fire engine, which belongs to the Dera. A foul smell was emanating from the tanks. We have sent the substance recovered from the tanks to the forensic sciences laboratory.”

The Dera chief, who enjoyed a Z plus security cover which was withdrawn after his conviction, had travelled from Sirsa to Panchkula in a convoy of vehicles on Friday. He was convicted in a 15-year-old rape case by the CBI court. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on Monday.