PANCHKULA (HARYANA): Sedition charges against Gurmeet Singh's close aide and “daughter” Honeypreet Insan, are likely to be dropped due to a lack of substantial evidence against her and other Dera Sacha Sauda followers. Followers of the self-professed godman went on a rampage on August 25, last year, after his conviction in a rape case. It is alleged that Honeypreet instigated all Dera followers for violence. She, along with fugitive Aditya Insan, are accused of holding a meeting of Dera functionaries before the court verdict. It is alleged that the plot to incite violence was hatched during the meeting.
A court in Panchkula had dropped sedition charges against 53 Dera followers on February 19, this year. The charges were dropped as the police failed to submit incriminating evidence including CCTV footage. The 53 accused were booked under separate FIRs. While the police claimed that they did their best to collect evidence, they said that some parts of the Dera headquarters were inaccessible even to the police. Panchkula Commissioner of Police AS Chawla said that Gurmeet's cave was impenetrable, hence, it was a tough task to go there and collect evidence.
He also said that there may have been attempts to destroy the evidence even before the police conducted a search operation. Chawla said that Honeypreet and Dera spokesperson Aditya, who is still at large, played an important role to incite the violence, and that police investigation is currently on. The police claim that they have done their best to make the case against Honeypreet and other Dera goons strong, but were helpless on the day of the violence as the Dera supporters were armed with petrol bombs. FIR against Honeypreet and 14 others had been registered under Sections 150, 153, 121, 121A, 120B of the Indian Penal Code and they are accused of waging war against the state.
