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2015 bir theft case: SIT to grill dera chief in Rohtak jail on Nov 8
The SIT will also question Ram Rahim to ascertain the whereabouts of three absconding members of dera’s national committee, who are key link in sacrilege cases
The Punjab Police special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 sacrilege cases will visit Sunaria jail in Rohtak on November 8 to question rape and murder convict Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for his alleged role in the theft of a “bir” (copy of Guru Granth Sahib) from a gurdwara at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village on June 1, 2015.
People familiar with the development said the SIT will also question Ram Rahim to ascertain the whereabouts of three absconding members of dera’s national committee, who are key link in sacrilege cases.
SIT head Surinder Pal Singh Parmar sent a communication to the district magistrate, Rohtak, informing that on the direction of the Punjab and Haryana high court, the members of the SIT will visit Sunaria Jail, Rohtak, for interrogating Ram Rahim on November 8. “You are requested to intimate the jail authorities accordingly so that the order of the high court may be complied with meticulously,” the letter reads.
The probe team has already prepared a questionnaire on the basis of evidence on record to interrogate the dera chief.
Last week, a Faridkot court issued production warrants against Ram Rahim in a case of sacrilege wherein a “bir” (copy) of Guru Granth Sahib was stolen from a gurdwara in Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village of Faridkot district on June 1, 2015. But the Punjab and Haryana high court directed Punjab Police to grill Ram Rahim in Rohtak jail itself, if it so desired, and directed the jail authorities to make arrangements for the SIT to question dera head.
In July 2020, after the arrest of seven dera followers, the SIT led by former inspector general of police Ranbir Singh Khatra had named Ram Rahim and dera’s three national committee members—Sandeep Bareta, Pardeep Kler and Harsh Dhuri— as accused in the case.
The “bir” was stolen from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village gurdwara on June 1, 2015. On October 12, 2015, torn pages of that “bir” were found scattered in front of a gurdwara in the adjoining Bargari village, leading to statewide protests and death of two Sikh protesters in police firing.
In its chargesheet, the SIT claimed that it was Ram Rahim who ordered to carry out sacrilege to avenge insult of sect followers by a Sikh preacher.
The dera head is lodged in Sunaria jail of Rohtak since August 25, 2017.
In 2017, he was awarded 20-year jail term for the rape of two disciples. Subsequently, he has been convicted in murder cases of a journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and Ranjit Singh, a former dera manager, in which life sentence has been awarded.
