ROHTAK: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) entrusted to probe the Rohtak riots that took place on August 25 in Panchkula and Sirsa following the arrest of Gurmeet Ram Rahim, questioned the Dera Sacha Sauda chief last week. A report said the team went to the high-security prison where Gurmeet is placed, with 275 questions to interrogate him. Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police, Manbir Singh confirmed the report saying, “The SIT questioned the Dera head inside Sunaria jail.” All hell broke lose in parts of Haryana when the self-acclaimed godman was convicted of sexual harassment amongst other charges.
The DCP was also present during the interrogation. He said Gurmeet was questioned in connection with the incidents of violence, refraining to divulge into more details. The guru was sentenced to 20 years in jail for raping two of his female disciples. The SIT also filed a charge sheet against his adopted daughter Honeypreet Insan and 14 others, on November 28, in connection with the violence. The riots left 41 people dead and several injured. Honeypreet and 11 others were charged with sedition and criminal conspiracy, along with being booked for various other offences under the Indian Penal Code. Haryana police said as many as 173 FIRs with almost 1,000 Dera followers accused of attacking security forces and damaging public properties.
In a surprising turn of events, one of Rahim's gunmen has turned witness for the police, against Honeypreet and others. Witness Number 20, Vikas Kumar has quoted in his statement that he had seen Honeypreet, dera chief spokesperson Aditya Insan and others at the dera headquarters on the night of August 17, conspiring to instigate violence in Panchkula. He has said that it was unanimously decided to build up a large crowd of dera followers ahead of the CBI court verdict in Panchkula to pressurise the government and the judiciary into a favourable verdict in the rape case.
It was later planned that the followers will be incited for violence and will even clash with security forces in case of an adverse order against Gurmeet. Vikas then said his followers were called from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and other places and told to carry along petrol, stones, sticks, and umbrellas. A decision was also taken to carry weapons in large quantity in the dera chief's cavalcade that was to accompany him on the day of verdict.
