The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Haryana police, which is handling the Panchkula violence case, arrested a doctor, on Sunday, 7 January, who has been accused of performing castration on the followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, India Today reported.
Dr MP Singh alias Mahender Insan, a close aide of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, was arrested from the Dera headquarters, the report stated.
Mahender was reportedly absconding since August 2017, when a case was registered against him after Ram Rahim was convicted for rape.
The report added that the doctor, wanted in the Panchkula violence case, would likely be produced in the court on Monday, 8 January. He is accused of castrating around 300 Dera followers.
In November 2017, the SIT had filed a chargesheet against Honeypreet Insan and 14 others accused in connection with the 25 August violence in Panchkula and Sirsa following Ram Rahim's conviction. The violence had left 41 people dead and scores of people injured.
Honeypreet, who claims to be an adopted daughter of the Dera chief, and 11 others had been charged with sedition, criminal conspiracy, and other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Three others were charged under Section 216 of the IPC (Harbouring offender who has escaped from custody or whose apprehension has been ordered) for giving shelter to Honeypreet when she was on the run, Panchkula Police Commissioner AS Chawla had said.
In October, last year, the SIT had arrested the Dera’s Chartered Accountant CP Arora over alleged involvement in inciting the violence.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Panchkula Police Commissioner AS Chawla had said: “Arora has been arrested on charges of participating in a meeting on 17 August at the Dera headquarters in which the conspiracy for inciting violence was hatched. He was also present in the meeting that was chaired by Honeypreet”.
The self-styled godman Ram Rahim is currently lodged in Sunaria prison, in Haryana’s Rohtak district.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)