In the rape case filed against him, self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was held guilty by a special CBI court on Friday.
Lakhs of supporters thronged Panchkula ahead of the verdict. Though they claim that their ‘satguru’ is innocent, a number of cases have piled up on Singh and the organisation that he heads — the Dera Saccha Sauda.
Let’s start with the 2002 rape and murder case:
2002 Rape and Murder Cases
A case of sexual exploitation was filed against Singh in September 2002 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), after an anonymous letter by one of the female followers of the DSS accused Singh of raping two female followers in the premises of DSS.
The letter claimed that 35 to 40 other girls have been under constant threat from Dera members.
In July 2002, the manager of DSS, Ranjit Singh, was shot dead by some followers after Singh had allegedly asked them to do so.
In October 2002, the editor of Poora Sach was shot by male followers of the DSS because of the heavy coverage the charges against Singh were getting in his newspaper. He died later on.
In 2007, the trial began and Section 376 (rape) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) were levelled against him.
The basis of the charges were the letter and the confessions by the two Dera attackers. The verdict would be announced on 25 August.
For updates on the Ram Rahim case, read: Ram Rahim Verdict Live
2007: Enaction of Guru Govind Singh
In 2007, Singh apologised to the Sikh community after he enacted Shri Guru Govind Singh, the 10th guru of the Sikhs. He was accused of wearing a costume similar to that of the Guru. He was discharged of the charge in August 2014.
Guruji says that he can never imitate or replicate the 10th Sikh Guru Govind Singh.Statement by DSS
Faqir Chand Murder
The CBI started examining the disappearance and murder of Singh’s driver, Faqir Chand. A case was filed against the Dera chief along with three other members of the sect, but it was closed due to poor investigation by the CBI in December 2010, with the accused being exonerated.
2014: The Mass Castration of 400 DSS Followers
In 2014, the Punjab and Haryana High Court asked the CBI to investigate a case against Singh and doctors tied to the DSS, stating that 400 Dera followers had been castrated inside the sect’s headquarters.
A petition was filed by one of the DSS followers, Hans Raj Chauhan, who was castrated. Chauhan accused Singh of assuring him that he would meet god after the castration. However, he said the surgeries were carried out only after the members consented to it.
The court remarked in December 2016 that though it was consensual, it was not an “act of humanity.” The case is still pending in court due to insufficient investigation.
2015: ‘Illegal Arms Training’
In December 2014, media reports and a contempt petition filed by Rampal, head of the Satlok Ashram, facilitated the Punjab and Haryana courts to order suo motu probe into the DSS headquarters on suspicions of illegal arms training. It was seen by the court as a challenge to the state and judiciary.
In 2015, after two inquiries held by the Haryana government, the Punjab and Haryana High Court was told that there was no evidence regarding the allegations of arms training and illegal hoarding of arms.
2015: Abduction of Guddi Devi
Kamlesh Kumar, who alleged that his wife, Guddi Devi, was kidnapped by Singh and two of his team members, registered a case under the Jawahar Circle police station.
Devi had gone to partake in a satsang at the DSS headquarters, where she was allegedly abducted. A case was lodged against the managing director of DSS, Satnam Singh, under Sections 365 (kidnapping), 344, 346 (wrongful confinement), and 120b (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
The case remains open.
2016: Imitation of Lord Vishnu
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and All-India Hindu Federation filed a complaint in January 2016 against the DSS head, accusing him of hurting Hindu sentiments by dressing up as the Hindu god Vishnu in a video.
The Dera chief has insulted god and hurt the religious feelings of the entire community by dressing up as Lord Vishnu.Rahul, VHP activist
The investigation is in motion, with no final decision taken on it.
MSG Controversies
Singh’s movies ‘Messenger of God’ and MSG-2 have been controversial too.
Many Sikh groups had protested against the release of the movies. They alleged that it was offensive to Sikhs. Others objected to the film portraying Adivasis as ‘anti-nationals.’
Filmmakers added disclaimers about the fictionality of characters in the movie, and after certain clarifications by the Dera chief himself, the movies released successfully.
(Sources: Hindustan Times, PTI, India Today )
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