E-Paper
Supreme Court orders transfer of three Bargari sacrilege cases out of Punjab
Trial against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim and seven dera followers in three interlinked cases of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari in 2015 has been transferred from Faridkot court to Chandigarh
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of the trial against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim and seven dera followers in three interlinked cases of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari in 2015 from a court in Faridkot to Chandigarh.
After the murder of Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Singh Kataria, other “premis” (as the sect followers are known) accused of sacrilege, moved the Supreme Court again, seeking the transfer of the trial in the three sacrilege cases to a court out of Punjab, citing “security threat”.
Dera follower Pardeep was shot dead by six shooters inside his shop at Hari Nau in Kotkapura on November 10. Pardeep was accused in two cases of sacrilege, the theft of a bir (copy) of Guru Granth Sahib and sacrilege at Bargari in Faridkot district. He was granted bail in the sacrilege cases on August 3, 2021.
A bench of justice Aniruddha Bose and justice Sudhanshu Dhulia on Tuesday disposed of the matter by allowing the plea of the accused to transfer the trial out of Punjab.
Five dera followers moved apex court
Confirming the development, a member of the special investigation team (SIT) probing the sacrilege cases said that all three cases related to Bargari have been transferred to Chandigarh.
The plea in the Supreme Court was filed by five dera followers accused of sacrilege, Sukhjinder Singh, alias Sunny, Shakti Singh, Ranjit Singh, alias Bhola, Nishan Singh and Baljit Singh, in December.
The accused sought the transfer of trials in three interlinked cases of sacrilege that were registered after a ‘bir’ of Guru Granth Sahib was stolen from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village on June 1, 2015, after which derogatory posters were put up at Bargari on September 24, 2015, night and torn pages of a ‘bir’ were found scattered near Bargari gurdwara on October 12, 2015.
Dera chief named main conspirator
Trial in all three cases is pending in a Faridkot court at the stage of arguments on framing of charges.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been named as the main conspirator in the sacrilege cases by the SIT led by the inspector general of police SPS Parmar.
In 2020, members of Dera Sacha Sauda had also sought a transfer of the trial of 2015 Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege cases pending before the courts in Bathinda, Moga and Faridkot in Punjab to a court in Delhi or to a nearby state. However, the Supreme Court had refused to shift the 2015 Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege case trial to another state, saying “no credible case for transfer of trial to alternative venues outside the state of Punjab is made out”.
Pardeep was the seventh dera follower to have been killed since the sacrilege incidents of 2015 in Faridkot district.
Timeline of sacrilege cases
June 2, 2015: Police register case pertaining to theft of ‘bir’ (copy of Guru Granth Sahib) from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village near Kotkapura in Faridkot.
September 25: Second FIR registered for putting up of poster at Bargari village.
October 12: Third case registered for sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib as torn pages of ‘bir’ found scattered in front of a gurdwara at Bargari.
November 2, 2015: Then SAD-BJP government hands over probe to CBI in the three FIRs.
July 4, 2019: CBI files closure report, claiming no proof against Dera Sacha Sauda followers.
September 6: Punjab government issues notification, withdrawing the consent to the CBI to investigate the case.
July 4, 2020: SIT arrests seven dera followers for 2015 ‘bir’ theft.
July 6: SIT names Sirsa dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and three national committee members of the sect as accused in the ‘bir’ theft case and files chargesheet against seven dera followers.
May 16, 2021: Six dera followers arrested for Bargari sacrilege.
January 27, 2022: SIT named Gurmeet Ram Rahim main conspirator in the Bargari sacrilege case in chargesheet against him and other dera followers.
April 21: Final investigation report filed by SIT in Bargari sacrilege cases.
November 10: Dera follower accused in sacrilege cases shot dead.
December 4: Other accused dera followers move SC seeking transfer of trial out of Punjab.
