Background To The Dss Chief's Cbi Enquiry

[proactive]

From email message lists

A SADHVI's letter to PMO has been reproduced from Spokesman Weekly

dated

December, 2002.

Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, Prime Minister New Delhi

I am a girl hailing from Punjab State. I have been serving as a

'Sadhwi' in

'Dera Sacha Sauda', Sirsa (Haryana) for the last five years. Beside me,

there are hundreds of others girl here, who serve for 18 hours daily.

But we

are sexually exploited here. The 'Dera Maharaj' Gurmit Singh rapes the

girls

in the 'dera'. I am a graduate. My family has blind faith in the

'Maharaj'

(Gurmit Singh). It was at my family's bidding that I became a 'Sadhwi'.

Two

years after I became a 'Sadhwi', a special woman-disciple of Maharaj

Gurmit

Singh came to me one night at 10' o' clock and said that the Maharaj

had

summoned me to his room. I felt elated that Maharaj himself sent for

me. I

was going to him for the first time. After climbing the stairs, when I

went

into his room, I saw that he was holding a remote in his hand and was

watching a blue film on the TV. Beside his pillow on the bed, lay a

revolver. Seeing all this, I was frightened and became nervous. I had

never

imagined that Maharaj was a man of this type. Maharaj switched off the

TV

and seated me beside him. He offered me water and said that he had

called me

because he considered me very close to him. This was my first

experience.

Maharaj took me in his embrace and said that he loved me from the core

of

his heart. He also said that he wanted to make love with me. He told me

that

at the time of becoming his disciple, I had dedicated my wealth, body

and

soul to him and he had accepted my offering. When I objected he said,

"There

is no doubt that I am God." When I asked if God also indulges in such

acts,

he shot back:

1. Sri Krishna too was God and he had 360 'gopis'

(milkmaids) with whom he enacted 'Prem lila' (love drama). Even then

people

regarded him as God. So there is nothing to be surprised at it.

2. I can kill you with this revolver and bury you

here. The

members of your family are my devoted followers and they have blind

faith in

me. You know it very well that members of your family cannot go against

me.

3. I have considerable influence with governments

also.

Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana and central Ministers come to pay

obeisance to me. Politicians take help from us. They cannot take any

action

against me. We will get the members of your family dismissed from govt.

jobs

and I will get them killed by my 'Sewadars' (servants). We will leave

no

evidence of their murder. You know that earlier also we got the 'dera'

Manager Fakir Chand killed by goondas. His murder remains untraced till

this

day. The 'dera' has a daily income of one crore rupees with which we

can buy

leaders, police and the judges.

After this, the Maharaj raped m. The Maharaj has been doing this with

me

for the last three years. My turn comes after every 25-30 days. Now I

have

learnt that before me too, the Maharaj had been raping the girls he had

summoned. Most of these women are now 35 to 40 years old and they are

past

the age of marriage. They have no other option but to remain in the

'dera'.

Most of the girls are educated --- B.A., M.A., B.Ed, etc. But they are

living a life of hell in the 'dera', simply because the members of

their

families have blind faith in the Maharaj. We wear white clothes, tie a

scarf

on the head, cannot even look at men and as per Maharaj's commands,

talk

with men from a distance of 5-10 feet. To the people we look like

'devis'

(goddesses), but we are living like harlots. This time I tried to tell

my

family that all was not well at the 'dera'. But they rebuked me saying

that

there was no better place than the 'dera' for here they were in the

company

of God (Maharaj). They said that I had formed a bad notion about the

'dera'

and that I should recite the name of 'Satguru'. I am helpless here

because I

have to obey every command of the Maharaj. No girl is permitted to talk

with

another. According to the commands of the Maharaj, girls are not

permitted

to talk to their families even on the telephone. If any girl talks

about the

reality of the 'dera', she is punished according to Maharaj's commands.

Sometimes ago, a Bhatinda girl revealed the wrong doings of the

Maharaj. At

this, all the women disciples gave her a sound thrashing. Because of a

fracture in the backbone, she is now bed-ridden. Her father gave up the

service in the 'dera' and went home. For fear of the Maharaj and his

own

disgrace, he is not revealing anything.

Similarly, a Kurukshetra girl has also left the 'dera' and has

gone

home. When she narrated the events in the 'dera' to her family, her

brother

who worked in the 'dera' gave up his job. When a Sangrur girl left the

'dera', went home and narrated the wrong-doings in the 'dera' to the

people,

the dera's armed Sewadars/ hooligans reached the girl's house and

threatened

to kill her and warned her not to leak anything about the 'dera'.

Similarly girls from Mansa, Ferozepur, Patiala and Ludhiana

districts

are afraid of revealing anything about the 'dera'. Although they have

left

the 'dera', yet they do not say anything for fear of loosing their

lives.

Similarly, girls from Sirsa, Hissar, Fatehabad, Hanuman Garh and

Meerutdisclose as to what happened to them in the 'dera'.

If I reveal my name, I and my family will be killed. I want to

reveal

this truth for the benefit of the common man, because I cannot bear all

this

tension and harassment. My life is in danger. If a probe is conducted

by the

press or some govt. agency, 40 to 50 girls living in the 'dera' will

come

forward to reveal the truth. We can also be medically examined to find

out

whether we are still celibate disciples or not. If we are no longer

virgins,

the matter should be gone into to find out who has violated our

chastity.

The truth will then come out that Maharaj Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh of

'Sacha

Sauda' has ruined our lives.

http://cbi.nic.in/PressReleases/PRelease2005/sadhvi.htm

CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

Special Crime Branch

*Chandigarh**.*

APPEAL

' REWARD OF RS. ONE LAKH '

On the order of the Hon'ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana at

Chandigarh

relating to allegation of sexual exploitation of Sadhvis and others

staying

at Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa and murder of journalist Ram Chander

Chatterpati

as well as Shri Ranjit Singh, a disciple of the Dera, the investigation

of

these cases have been taken over by the CBI.

The CBI has declared a reward of Rs. One lakh to any person who

give

specific information or evidence relating to the said offences of

sexual

exploitation of Sadhvis in the Dera Sacha Sauda, murder of Shri Ram

Chander

Chatterpati and Shri Ranjit Singh. Persons having specific information

or

evidence relating to these cases may contact either Shri A K Hargava,

SP/CBI

or Dr.Aarmaan Deep Singh or Shri Satish Dagar, Dy.SsP/CBI,

Sector-30-A,Chandigarh-160 030. Phone no.0172-2657102 Ext.203(Office),

Phone/Fax-0172-2657285 (office).

Such persons who give specific information or evidence in

respect of

these cases resulting in proper and successful legal action against the

persons involved in these cases will be paid a cash reward of Rs.one

lakh.

The name and identity of the informer will be kept secret, if so

desired.

***********

*Murder case against Sirsa dera chief**

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070410/haryana.htm *

*Cong influencing probe: victim's

son<http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070410/haryana.htm#24>

*

Chandigarh, April 9

Accusing the Congress high command of influencing the ongoing probe in

the

murder of Ram Chander Chhatrapati, a Sirsa-based journalist, to shield

the

Dera Sacha Sauda chief and others involved in the case, the victim's

son

today alleged that the move is part of a larger conspiracy.

*Anshul Chhatrapati addresses mediapersons at Chandigarh Press Club,

Sector

27, on Monday. —A Tribune photograph *

*Murder case against Sirsa dera chief

**Cong influencing probe: victim's son

**Tribune News Service*

Chandigarh, April 9

Accusing the Congress high command of influencing the ongoing probe in

the

murder of Ram Chander Chhatrapati, a Sirsa-based journalist, to shield

the

Dera Sacha Sauda chief and others involved in the case, the victim's

son

today alleged that the move is part of a larger conspiracy.

Addressing mediapersons today, Anshul Chhatrapati, the victim's son,

alleged

that the transfer of case from investigating officer, DSP Dr Armandeep

Singh, to another CBI officer, DSP Satish Dagger, was an indication of

tampering with the ongoing probe.

He added that the investigation into the case was about to complete at

this

juncture.

The CBI has been probing two cases of murder - one of Ram Chander

Chhatrapati, editor of Poora Sach, and the other of Ranjit Singh, a

member

of the dera - and a case of sexual abuse against dera chief Gurmeet

Singh on

an anonymous complaint filed by a dera woman worker.

Anshul, who is now the editor of Poora Sach, alleged that members of

the

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) had urged Congress president

Sonia

Gandhi to influence the CBI probe in favour of dera chief, as he had

supported the Congress in the recent elections.

He alleged that the PPCC had entered into a deal with the dera chief

before

elections, wherein dera chief's support would have earned him help from

the

party in cases of murder and sexual abuse filed against him.

Anshul flanked by Thakur Shiv Ram Singh, sarpanch of Bajekan village in

Sirsa, and advocate Lekh Raj said: "Due to the interference of the

PPCC, the

probe, which was nearing completion, is now going at snail's pace. As

Dr

Armandeep was handling the case, the transfer of the case to another

official will only affect the probe adversely. I demand that all three

cases

be handled by Dr Armandeep."

He asserted that as the case was being influenced by politicians, he

would

approach general secretaries of both the CPI and the CPM, besides

meeting

Sonia Gandhi and other high-ups, to get justice.

Earlier in the day, confusion prevailed among mediapersons when Anshul

and

his associates went to the CBI office in Sector 30 and did not respond

to

calls made by them.

He showed up after much delay and cleared the doubts of mediapersons.

He said he had gone to discuss the case with CBI SP.

*Chhatrapati's murder

**Son to move HC against transfer of case

**Kiran Deep

Tribune News Service*

Sirsa, April 8

In journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati's murder case, his son Anshul

Chhatrapati will approach the high court against the transfer of the

case

from CBI official, Dr Armandeep Singh, DSP, to another official when

the

inquiry about to complete.

Anshul Chhatrapati said Dr Armandeep Singh had been investigating the

murder

charges levelled against the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda.

Before the official was able to submit his findings to the court, the

case

was handed over to another official allegedly following pressure by the

Congress-led UPA government.

"I will move a plea in the court to direct the CBI functionary to

explain

under what circumstances the case was transferred when the inquiry was

about

to complete" he said.

Anshul Chhatrapati, also editor of evening newspaper Poora Sach, said,

"The

case is under the jurisdiction of the court. But the CBI senior

functionary

transferred the case to DSP Satish Daggar at this critical stage

without

informing the court. Dr Armandeep Singh had investigated the matter in

detail and was to submit a complete report on April 16.

But before he could reveal truth, he was moved out", added Anshul.

It is learnt that Punjab Congress MLAs had requested Sonia Gandhi to

favour

the head of Dera Sacha Sauda in the CBI inquiry pending against him.

The MLAs highlighted the influence of the dera in the Punjab Assembly

elections.

*Ram Chander Chaterpatti, Poora Sach, November 21, 2002, Sirsa**

*Chaterpatti, editor of the Hindi-language newspaper *Poora Sach*, died

in a

New Delhi hospital of injuries sustained in an assassination attempt

made a

month earlier.

On October 24, a gunman fired several shots at Chaterpatti, a

journalist

based in Sirsa, a town in the northern state of Haryana. Chaterpatti

was

taken to an area hospital but was later transferred to the Apollo

Hospitalin New

Delhi.

Police arrested three suspects, including the alleged gunman and a

leader of

the Sirsa-based religious sect Dera Sacha Sauda, according to the Press

Trust of India news agency. Officials said that Dera Sacha Sauda

members are

believed to have ordered Chaterpatti's murder in reprisal for the

journalist's reporting on sexual abuse and other crimes allegedly

committed

at the group's compound in Sirsa.

A delegation of journalists, including the president of the regional

journalists' group Haryana Patrakar Sangh and representatives of

India's

National Union of Journalists, met with the director general of police

in

Haryana on the day of Chatterpatti's death, November 21, to press

authorities to bring the journalist's killers to justice. The

delegation

also complained that several journalists in the area have received

death

threats for reporting on the activities of Dera Sacha Sauda.

http://www.cpj.org/killed/killed02.html

*1. Dera Sacha Sauda**

*www.sikhsundesh.net/sacha_sauda.html - [Cached]

<http://cache.zoominfo.com/CachedPage/?archive_id=923777329&page_id=1257853327&page_url=%2f%2fwww.sikhsundesh.net%2fsacha_sauda.html&page_last_updated=9%2f30%2f2005+6%3a33%3a06+PM&firstName=Ram&lastName=Chatrapati>

Published on: 9/29/2005 Last Visited: 9/30/2005

The death, on November 21, of Ram Chandra Chatrapati, the 53-year-old

editor

of Poora Sach (Complete Truth), an evening daily from Sirsa, Haryana,

at the

Apollo Hospital in New Delhi went largely unnoticed by the mainstream

media.

...

The issue was reported in several newspapers and Chatrapati had

consistently

written about the Dera's activities since then. The letter, written by

a

female disciple of Maharaj, or a sadhvi, was addressed to the Prime

Minister

and its copies had been marked to the Union Home Minister, the Central

Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Haryana Chief Minister, the

SirsaSuperintendent of Police, the National

Human Rights Commission, newspapers and women's and social

organizations.

It was alleged in the letter that several girls had been subject to

exploitation. The sadhvi stated that she was a graduate and had been in

the

Dera (spread over 700 acres, or 280 hectares) for the last five years.

Herfamily, being very religious, had sent

her there to serve as a sadhvi. She alleged that Gurmit Singh

threatened to

kill her if she reported the goings-on in the Dera to anyone.

...

The CBI is bound to take a close look at the statements given to the

police

by the two men who were caught and handed over to the police by the

public

for allegedly shooting of Chatrapati. During questioning they

reportedly

said that they were Dera followers from Punjab and had been sent by

Kishan

Lal, a senior functionary of the Dera, to silence Chatrapati. Kishan

Lal was

also taken into custody.

Chatrapati battled for his life for 28 days, first at the Rohtak

Medical

College and then at the Apollo Hospital. In fact, several local

journalists

had received threats, but no one took serious note of them. However,

Chatrapati did write to the Sirsa Superintendent of Police asking for

protection.

Meanwhile, on November 3, the former sarpanch of Khanpur Koliyan in

Kurukshetra district told newspersons that because of the anonymous

letter

his son had been murdered by followers of the Dera.

...

Chatrapati being a poet imbued with reformist zeal wrote perhaps a bit

more

consistently than the rest of his fraternity. By targeting him and also

by

attacking the office of Lekha Jokha, an evening newspaper published

from

Fatehabad, the Dera seemed to be sending a message to the journalistic

fraternity. A total of 11 journalists have been given police

protection.

Political parties and journalist unions of all hues have condemned the

actions of the Dera. Journalists and members of political parties

protested

in Sirsa against the attack on Ram Chandra Chatrapati in October.

...

They regretted the murder of Chatrapati but claimed that he "wrote all

kinds

of things".

Arora claims that the Sessions Judge who conducted the inquiry did not

meet

any of the relevant persons in the Dera. Chatrapati had been writing

unprovoked, false and baseless reports, he maintained. "There was a

difference between a sex scandal and an anonymous letter. The media

should

have made the distinction clear as it involved the feelings of 1.25

crore

people," he said.

Deputy Commissioner D. Suresh was requested to restrain Chatrapati, but

nothing happened, he said. Suresh told Frontline that Dera

representatives

had indeed made such a request and that he had cautioned them not to

take

the law into their own hands. He added that his office had received

several

complaints against the Dera, alleging land grabbing, drugs peddling and

tax

evasion.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1926/sto...03003404000.htm

------------------------------

*Volume 19 - Issue 26, December 21, 2002 - January 03, 2003*

India's National Magazine

from the publishers of THE HINDU

Home <http://www.flonnet.com/index.htm> *•* Contents

<http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1926/index.htm>

<http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1926/index.htm>

------------------------------

<http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=20030103003404000.htm&date=fl1926/&prd=fline&><http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=20030103003404000.htm&date=fl1926/&prd=fline&><http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/pgemail.pl?date=fl1926/&prd=fline&><http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/pgemail.pl?date=fl1926/&prd=fline&>

*THE STATES*

*Godman under a cloud *

T.K. RAJALAKSHMI

*in Sirsa *

*The Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana and its head are under investigation

in

connection with the murder of a journalist and charges of sexual

exploitation of women followers of the sect. *

THE death, on November 21, of Ram Chandra Chatrapati, the 53-year-old

editor

of *Poora Sach* (Complete Truth), an evening daily from Sirsa, Haryana,

at

the Apollo Hospital in New Delhi went largely unnoticed by the

mainstream

media. On the night of October 24, two men riding a motorcycle,

claiming to

be followers of a religious sect called Dera Sacha Sauda, had shot at

him

four times from point-blank range. The sect, headquartered in Sirsa,

claims

a following of more than one crore people and has branches in many

States.

The Master of the Dera is Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh Ji, popularly known as

Maharaj.

PICTURES: BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

*Ram Chandra Chatrapati, editor of Poora Sach, who died of bullet

injuries.

*

The activities of the Dera attracted attention in May after an

anonymous

letter alleging sexual exploitation by Maharaj came to light. The issue

was

reported by several newspapers, and Chatrapati had consistently written

about the Dera's activities since then. The letter, written by a female

disciple of Maharaj, or a *sadhvi*, was addressed to the Prime Minister

and

its copies had been marked to the Union Home Minister, the Central

Bureau of

Investigation (CBI), the Haryana Chief Minister, the Sirsa

Superintendent of

Police, the National Human Rights Commission, newspapers and women's

and

social organisations. It was alleged in the letter that several girls

had

been subject to exploitation.

The *sadhvi *stated that she was a graduate and had been in the Dera

(spread

over 700 acres, or 280 hectares) for the last five years. Her family,

being

very religious, had sent her there to serve as a *sadhvi*. She alleged

that

Gurmit Singh threatened to kill her if she reported the goings-on in

the

Dera to anyone. He also boasted, as stated in the letter, about the

influence he wielded with politicians in Punjab and Haryana.

It is well known that leading politicians from both the States have

visited

the Dera to seek the blessings of Maharaj. Prominent among them are

former

Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and Haryana Chief Minister Om

Prakash Chautala.

The letter alleged sexual exploitation of several girls, many of whom

had

post-graduate and even M.Phil degrees. They were "leading a life in

hell due

to the superstitious nature and dead faith of their family members", it

said, and added that many girls from Mansa, Ferozepur, Patiala and

Ludhiana

districts of Punjab had returned to their homes but kept quiet out of

fear.

The three-page letter in Hindi also detailed how a *sadhvi* from

Bhatinda in

Punjab, was beaten up by the rest of the *sadhvi*s, when she tried to

disclose the deeds of Maharaj. Some 45 girls were living in fear and

insecurity but were ready to disclose everything in confidence, the

letter

stated.

*The Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa, Haryana. *

On September 3, taking *suo motu *notice of the letter, the Punjab and

Haryana High Court directed the District and Sessions Judge to conduct

an

inquiry. In his report, the District and Sessions Judge suggested that

the

matter be investigated by a Central agency. The High Court, taking

cognisance of the recommendation and the serious nature of allegations,

referred the matter to the CBI on September 24 and directed it to

submit a

report within six months.

The CBI is bound to take a close look at the statements given to the

police

by the two men who were caught and handed over to the police by the

public

for allegedly shooting Chatrapati. During questioning they reportedly

said

that they were Dera followers from Punjab and had been sent by Kishan

Lal, a

senior functionary of the Dera, to silence Chatrapati. Kishan Lal was

also

taken into custody.

Chatrapati battled for his life for 28 days, first at the Rohtak

Medical

College and then at the Apollo Hospital. In fact, several local

journalists

had received threats, but no one took serious note of them. However,

Chatrapati did write to the Sirsa Superintendent of Police asking for

protection.

Meanwhile, on November 3, the former sarpanch of Khanpur Koliyan in

Kurukshetra district told newspersons that his son had been murdered by

followers of the Dera because of the anonymous letter. The murder took

place

on July 10, he said, and claimed that when the police failed to nab the

killers, he wrote to the Haryana Chief Minister for a CBI inquiry and

sent

copies of the letter to the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister,

the

Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and the State Home

Secretary, among others. The CBI will investigate this case as well.

The motive for the boy's murder and other activities of the Dera are

the

topics of discussion in Sirsa and surrounding districts. Chatrapati,

also

being a poet imbued with a reformist zeal, perhaps wrote a bit more

consistently than the rest of his fraternity. By targeting him and also

by

attacking the office of *Lekha Jokha*, an evening newspaper published

from

Fatehabad, the Dera seemed to be sending a message to the journalistic

fraternity. A total of 11 journalists have been given police

protection.

Political parties and journalist unions of all hues have condemned the

actions of the Dera.

The Dera Sacha Sauda was set up in 1948 by Shah Mastana from

Baluchistan.

Conceived as a centre of spiritual inquiry and learning, the Dera stood

as a

symbol of disagreement with all established religions and orthodoxies.

Its

beginnings were rooted in a liberal and progressive theology that

accepted

into its fold many people. This naturally attracted several people. His

successor, Shah Satnam, continued the good work and a lot of branches

came

up in other States as well. But since 1992, when Gurmit Singh took

over, the

Dera began to acquire a lot of agricultural land, much of it allegedly

by

coercion. One of the philosophies of the Dera is that it neither

receives

nor gives donation.

Today the Dera owns some 700 acres, which extend to the outskirts of

Sirsa

town, and its spokespersons claim that the main source of revenue is

agriculture. A guide points to the Dera set up by the founder, and the

girls

hostel, which was reportedly built in record time using free labour.

What is

not shown is the petrol pump, the sophisticated supermarket and a

revolving

restaurant, to name a few of the entrepreneurial activities of the

Dera. It

runs a biscuit factory and an ice factory. All this information was

gleaned

locally and not from the Dera.

The Dera spokesperson, Dr. Aditya Arora, an ophthalmologist, preferred

to

highlight its boys' school affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary

Education, its degree college affiliated to Kurukshetra University and

a

175-bed hospital in Rajasthan's Ganganagar district. Ganganagar is also

the

birthplace of Gurmit Singh.

*Journalists and members of political parties protest in Sirsa against

the

attack on Ram Chandra Chatrapati in October. *

The Dera has 36 branches in 11 States, including Rajasthan, Punjab,

Gujarat,

Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. According to R.K. Soni,

a *

sevadaar* or volunteer, there are 400 sadhus and 100 *sadhvi*s living

in the

Dera. "They manage on their own," said a *sevadaar*, rebutting the

allegations of sexual exploitation.

The main mass of the Dera followers comprises peasants who claim to

toil on

Dera land for 18 hours a day. Dera followers claimed that the liquor

mafia

as well as followers of organised religion were working against

Maharaj.

They regretted the murder of Chatrapati but claimed that he "wrote all

kinds

of things".

Arora claims that the Sessions Judge who conducted the inquiry did not

meet

any of the relevant persons in the Dera. Chatrapati had been writing

unprovoked, false and baseless reports, he maintained. "There was a

difference between a sex scandal and an anonymous letter. The media

should

have made the distinction clear as it involved the feelings of 1.25

crore

people," he said. Deputy Commissioner D. Suresh was requested to

restrain

Chatrapati, but nothing happened, he said. Suresh told *Frontline* that

Dera

representatives had indeed made such a request and that he had

cautioned

them not to take the law into their own hands. He added that his office

had

received several complaints against the Dera, alleging land-grabbing,

drugs-peddling and tax evasion.

The Dera had done good work but all that was glossed over by the media,

lamented Arora. "We don't accept charity, we are totally anti-liquor

and

support de-addiction. We must have enraged the liquor lobby and

organised

religion," he said. Arora claimed that the Dera was the premier

disaster

relief organisation in the country, having supported drought relief in

Gujarat, flood relief in Sirsa and even in Orissa. "Please do not

defame the

Master," requested the doctor, who had been trained at the All India

Institute of Medical Sciences.

A popular movement against the Dera is taking shape, with all political

parties demanding a thorough investigation into its activities. In a

memorandum submitted to Haryana Governor Babu Parmanand, the Haryana

Patrakar Sangh, the Haryana Union of Journalists, the Chandigarh

Journalists

Association, the Punjab Union of Journalists, the Himachal Pradesh

Working

Journalists Association and the Himachal Pradesh Union of Journalists

demanded a CBI probe into the functioning of the Dera, including its

sources

of income and a review of the firearm licences issued to Dera inmates,

and

provision of security to the journalists who have received threats.