E-Paper
Trial against dera chief in sacrilege cases starts in Chandigarh court
As per the counsel for Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in one of the cases, Rajesh Kumar Rai, the hearing was adjourned with directions to the prosecution to supply a copy of the challan to the accused Ram Rahim.
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was produced before the local court here via video conferencing from Sunaria Jail in Rohtak on Thursday in relation to three interlinked 2015 sacrilege cases. The proceedings against the dera chief and others re-started after the Supreme Court in October vacated the March order by the Punjab and Haryana high court that had halted the trial.
As per the counsel for Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in one of the cases, Rajesh Kumar Rai, the hearing was adjourned with directions to the prosecution to supply a copy of the challan to the accused Ram Rahim. The matter will now be heard on December 19. The hearing of all three cases will be held together.
In February last year, the SC transferred the trial against Ram Rahim and seven followers in three interlinked cases of Bargari sacrilege from a court in Faridkot to Chandigarh. The move came after dera follower Pardeep Singh Kataria, an accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case, was shot dead on November 10, 2022, and other accused moved the apex court seeking transfer of the case.
The sacrilege incidents began on June 1, 2015, when a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib was stolen from a gurdwara in Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village. Subsequently, three derogatory posters threatening sacrilege were found in Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala villages. On October 12, 2015, torn pages of the Sikh holy book were found scattered near a gurdwara in Bargari village.
These events sparked outrage across Punjab, leading to protests. Two demonstrators died and several were injured in subsequent police action. The incident’s mishandling contributed to the Shiromani Akali Dal government’s defeat in the 2017 assembly elections.
The SIT formed by the state concluded that the desecration was orchestrated at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters with Ram Rahim’s involvement. . The SIT has filed chargesheets against Ram Rahim in the three cases, naming him the “main conspirator”.
The SIT’s final report, submitted in April 2022, found no political involvement but alleged that Ram Rahim ordered the sacrilege as revenge for a perceived insult to sect followers by a Sikh preacher.
