Bargari sacrilege: Dera head seeks copy of discharge application of two Sikh youths

The dera head in his application also sought the recording and transcripts of phone calls of Rupinder and Jaswinder

Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who is an accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case, has sought copy of the application filed by Punjab Police for seeking discharge of two Sikh youths, who were initially arrested as accused in the case.

Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who is an accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case, has sought copy of the application filed by Punjab Police for seeking discharge of two Sikh youths, who were initially arrested as accused in the case. (HT File Photo)

Faced with anger among the Sikhs following the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib on October 12, 2015, and the death of two protesters in a firing incident at Behbal Kalan two days later, the then Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) government had formed a special investigation team (SIT) led by then ADGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota to probe the sacrilege and firing incidents.

On October 20, Sahota had announced that they have cracked the Bargari sacrilege case with the arrest of two persons. He had identified Rupinder Singh and his elder brother Jaswinder Singh, both residents of Panjgraian village, in Faridkot as the accused.

The dera head in his application also sought the recording and transcripts of phone calls of Rupinder and Jaswinder. Further, they have requested the court to direct the SIT to present the record on what grounds both the brothers were arrested and later released by the Punjab Police.

Subsequently, as anger grew over the police theory, the brothers had to be let off within days with the SIT claiming that they were not involved.

The SIT led by the IGP Surinder Pal Singh Parmar had nominated Ram Rahim as the main accused in the three interlinked sacrilege cases, including Bargari sacrilege, and filed chargesheets against him and other dera followers.