CHANDIGARH: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Insan and two doctors are formally charged in a case related to the castration of around 400 disciples inside the Dera premises. A special CBI court in Panchkula framed the charges against Ram Rahim and Dr Pankaj Garg and Dr MP Singh for voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means, cheating and criminal conspiracy among others, paving the way for beginning the trial against them.
The court also dismissed a petition filed by the jailed Dera chief in which he had pleaded not to be made a party in the case. Witness Gurdas Singh Tuhar said, “I was a sadhu in the Dera when the castrations took place. I have disclosed to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) all the things that transpired inside the Dera. I had filed an RTI to find out who owned how much land. The CBI has used that data in its challan to reveal that Ram Rahim's real motive was to expand his empire and he used the sadhus for that.” Tuhar added, “The seers were first made land owners and then castrated. The power of attorneys were taken from them and the land was subsequently transferred to the Dera trust.”
At the hearing, while both the doctors were present in court, the self-acclaimed godman attended via video conferencing. The accused were provided copies of the chargesheet, and the matter has been posted for August 17. Ram Rahim was jailed last year after a CBI court convicted him of raping women disciples. Doctor Singh is also in judicial custody in connection with the violence that had broken out in Panchkula after Ram Rahim was convicted. CBI investigation into the charges of forced castration was ordered by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in December 2014. Petitioner Hans Raj Chauhan had alleged that some 400 Dera followers were castrated with the false hope that their emasculation would lead to realisation of God through Ram Rahim.
Meanwhile, a local court in Panchkula has acquitted all accused booked for violence after the conviction of Ram Rahim. Reports said the bench cited a “lack of evidence” as it discharged over 1,000 people named in the chargesheet. The verdict comes as a major embarrassment for the Haryana government which had assured to crackdown on all rioters and arsonists involved in the violence.
