Hurting religious sentiments: Probe against dera head still underway, Punjab Police tells HC

Punjab Police have told the high court that probe into an FIR registered against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Jalandhar for allegedly hurting religious sentiments was still underway

Chandigarh: Punjab Police have told the high court that probe into an FIR registered against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Jalandhar for allegedly hurting religious sentiments was still underway.

Punjab Police have told the high court that probe into an FIR registered against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Jalandhar for allegedly hurting religious sentiments was still underway.

The police response came to a plea filed by the dera head seeking quashing of the FIR registered by the Patara police on March 7 this year on allegations under Section 295-A of Indian penal code (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).

The plea said that part of sermon delivered in 2016 by the dera head has been uploaded on a YouTube channel in February which depicts the discourse given by him in a completely wrong context. The content uploaded on YouTube is malicious. The dera head had no connection with it and thus, the FIR deserves to be quashed, the plea said.

The police told court that it has written to YouTube to provide actual content of the video and details about from where it was uploaded. The link of the alleged video has been deleted and as and when the YouTube responds, further action in the case would be taken as actual facts and evidence are being collected, the response submitted said.

The police said Ram Rahim is yet to be arrested in the case in question as he was lodged in the jail. Other than the present FIR, there are six other criminal cases against him out of which he has been convicted in three cases. The challan would be presented in the case in due course of time as the YouTube is yet to respond to the letter written, it submitted.

The dera chief, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for raping his two disciples in 2002, is lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak. Subsequently, he was also convicted in two murder cases. Punjab Police are also probing his role in 2015 sacrilege cases.