Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, on Monday appealed in Punjab and Haryana High Court against his conviction in twin rape cases. The Dera chief was convicted by Panchkula’s Special CBI Court on 25 August for raping two of his female followers. He was awarded 20 years imprisonment by the court in the case.
His conviction was followed by violent protests in Panchkula by the Dera followers. A hunt is on for 43 people including Ram Rahim’s alleged adopted daughter, Honeypreet Insan, for instigating violence.
After Ram Rahim was sent to Rohtak’s Suneria jail, a massive search operation was launched at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarter in Sirsa. The police had sealed an illegal explosives factory inside the Dera premises. Explosives and fire crackers were also seized, informed Deputy Director of Haryana PR Department, Satish Mehra. The search team also found a window-like path leading from Dera Awas to Sadhvi Niwas. Besides that, children – one belonging to Uttar Pradesh and the other to Kaithal – were also rescued.
According to Special Investigation Team sources, more than 600 skeletons are also believed to be buried inside the 700-acre Dera Sacha Sauda campus. They are saying that saplings have been planted, some of which are now full-grown trees, over skeletons in the Dera campus. The burials were reportedly ordered by Ram Rahim.
