Dera manager murder case adjourned to June 9

A special CBI court adjourns the case of murder of a former manager of Dera Sacha Sauda to June 9.

A special CBI court on Tuesday adjourned the case of murder of a former manager of Dera Sacha Sauda, which is involved in a stand off with the Sikhs on the alleged depitction of its head as tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, to June 9.

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The five accused Kishan Lal, Sabdal Singh, Avtar Singh, Inder Sen and Jasbir Singh were present in the court of Special CBI Judge R K Saini.

CBI, which is investigating the case on orders from Punjab and Haryana High Court, claimed the accused Lal, who is one of the "prabhandhak" (managers) at the Dera Sachha Sauda, headed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, was allegedly involved in the murder of a former manager Ranjit Singh in July 2002.

The investigating agency took up the case following orders from the High Court, which had received an anonymous complaint alleging widespread sexual abuse of "sadhvis" in the Dera.

Singh, who was in the 10-member committee looking after the functioning of the Dera, was murdered on July 10, 2002 as the inmates believed that he was behind the circulation of the anonymous letter in May 2002, according to the agency.