The Haryana police have filed fresh cases of sedition and criminal conspiracy against senior office-bearers of the Dera Sacha Sauda for allegedly threatening a journalist and orchestrating the August 25 violence in Panchkula and Sirsa.
Director-General of Police B.S. Sandhu ducked questions whether the Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was named as an accused in the fresh cases.
Mr. Sandhu said Honeypreet Singh, an adopted daughter of Singh, was present in the Panchkula courtroom when the verdict was announced, in her capacity as an attendant and as “physician” as Singh was unwell. He said Ms. Singh had taken the permission of the court.
He dodged questions how Ms. Singh was present in the private helicopter arranged by the Haryana administration to ferry the Dera chief to the Rohtak jail.
“After the verdict was announced, he was in the custody of prison officials,” Mr. Sandhu said. The chopper was arranged by the Haryana police.
Viral video
A video showing the rape convict walk out of the courtroom flanked by Ms. Singh and senior officials of the Haryana government has gone viral. The video showed Ms. Singh giving directions to officials.
In one photograph, Ms. Singh is seen sitting across the Dera chief in a chopper just before he was to be flown to Rohtak. In the photograph, the Dera chief is seen eating chocolate.
