Arrest Warrants Against Dera Sauda Chief

[BABBAR KHALISTANI]

Arrest warrant against dera chief

Chander Parkash

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 20

In a significant development that could give a new twist to the standoff between Dera Sacha Sauda and Sikh organisations, additional chief judicial magistrate A.L. Kitchi today issued arrest warrant against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, head, Dera Sacha Sauda, in connection with a criminal case registered against him under Section 295-A of the IPC on May 20 in Bathinda.

Sources said the magistrate directed the police to seek permission from the state government before arresting him.

A formal application was moved in the court by the police for securing his arrest warrant on June 18. However, the court took up the application yesterday and later adjourned the case.

The case was registered on the complaint of Rajinder Singh Sidhu, president, Khalsa Diwan. The dera head was charged with hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs through his blasphemous act of imitating Guru Gobind Singh and enacting the religious baptism ceremony.

The police has also registered two criminal cases against dera followers for their alleged involvement in violence on May 14 and 15. Nearly 20 followers have been arrested so far.

Nau Nihal Singh, SSP, said the police would get the copy of arrest warrants tomorrow.

UNI adds: While referring to the plea of the prosecution, the court questioned the motive behind registering the case at a police station in Bathinda instead of at the Bhagta police station as the dera head had enacted the baptism ceremony at Salabatpura village. The prosecution contended that the case was registered at a local police station after the complaint of a local resident and, moreover, Bathinda, too, had been affected by the violence that followed the Salabatpura incident.

As the police had not sought the permission of the state government while registering the case, the court directed the prosecution to get the permission. The court pointed out that for registering a case under Section 295-A, the permission had to be first sought from the government.

After the prosecution assured the court that the permission would be formally sought from the government, the magistrate issued non-bailable warrants that are returnable by July 1.

During the arguments yesterday, the prosecution told the court that the police had raided the dera at Sirsa twice in the recent past to arrest Ram Rahim. However, on both occasions due to the presence of a large number of followers, the police could not arrest him.

Fresh apology, this time to Sikhs

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Mohali, June 20

In what could defuse tension and soothe frayed nerves in the North India, especially Punjab, chief of Dera Sacha Sauda Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh today issued a fresh apology. Now, he has apologised for his actions to the entire Sikh community.

It comes on a day when a court issued an arrest warrant against the dera chief for allegedly hurting the Sikh community's sentiments.

A copy of the letter was delivered by a special emissary of the Dera Sacha Sauda to chief of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee P.S. Sarna, who, in turn, has handed it over to SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar here today for acceptance of the Sikh high priests. Makkar said the letter had been received, however, he refused to comment, saying that only jathedar of the Akal Takht Joginder Singh Vedanti would comment on it. Makkar and Sarna addressed a joint press conference at Mohali here tonight.

It had been decided that a 10-member committee would be formed to iron out differences between the sect and the Sikh community, said Sarna. It would have five members each from among the Sikhs and followers of the sect. The choice of five members of the Sikhs had been left to Sikh high priests.

Sources said an MLA from Punjab, a dera emissary and a senior intelligence official were present when Sarna provided the information about the breakthrough in the deadlock.

Sarna told The Tribune that the apology letter was signed by the dera and it should not have any problems in being accepted. He revealed that the DSGMC was working behind the scene to persuade the dera chief to see reason.

A meeting of the Khalsa Action Committee was held tonight to decide on the further course of action. Various Sikh organisations was mounting pressure on the Punjab government asking it to arrest the dera chief and a case was registered against him on May 20 for "hurting the religious sentiments" of the Sikhs.

[proactive]

Sources said the magistrate directed the police to seek permission from the state government before arresting him.

Only in a corrupt country like India

Why should the police have to seek permission from the state government, if they have the evidence to back a prosecution then why doesn't the magistate allow the law to take it's course.

[Revolutionary]

Sources said the magistrate directed the police to seek permission from the state government before arresting him.

Only in a corrupt country like India

Why should the police have to seek permission from the state government, if they have the evidence to back a prosecution then why doesn't the magistate allow the law to take it's course.

the mantris are above the law

its india what do u fink

[Singh, Mahan]

It does not cease to amaze what angles these corrupt officials can come up with. Till now it was quite common to see false criminal cases filed against the opponents of politicians in power.

Now they are setting precedence that when the person is not a political opponent and that even when there is compelling evidence and an arrest warrant issued in a criminal case, police still may have to get the permission from the politicians to determine whether to arrest the person or not.

Now that is the real democracy.

I hope, if there still is any rights group that may have happened to have survived in Punjab, that they challenge the principle of this in higher courts.

[Guest Narinder Singh]

First we had "Case Registered Against Dera Chief" now we have "Arrest Warrants Against Dera Chief"

Bharat mata is one lousy mata!

Fateh.

[palamrinder]

"Sources said an MLA from Punjab, a dera emissary and a senior intelligence official were present when Sarna provided the information about the breakthrough in the deadlock."

"Sarna told The Tribune that the apology letter was signed by the dera and it should not have any problems in being accepted. He revealed that the DSGMC was working behind the scene to persuade the dera chief to see reason."

True Colors are showing up now. So much for our leaders.......

[Jaggaa]

Tommorows Headlines will be "Dera Leader has been bailed dissaproving evidence"

[Guest PunjabSingh]

Tommorows Headlines will be "Dera Leader has been bailed dissaproving evidence"

Yes and another headline might be "Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu arrested under sedition charges " ( without any evidence ).

Then they say law is equal for all in India .

Sarna,Rode and some Sants : all of these the members of Khalsa Action Committee have shown their true colors .

It is a positive point that they have shown themselves in the beginning itself .

Dont know how many such more people are there in the Khalsa Action Commitee except Bhai Bittu and Sardar Mann.

But it is true that Sikh sangat is now united as never before .

No badal,sarna,makkar can stand up against the anger of the Sikh sangat .

[Singh, Mahan]

Tommorows Headlines will be "Dera Leader has been bailed dissaproving evidence" :gg:

Yes and another headline might be "Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu arrested under sedition charges " ( without any evidence ).

Then they say law is equal for all in India .

Sarna,Rode and some Sants : all of these the members of Khalsa Action Committee have shown their true colors .

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I was expecting this to happen.

After the meeting in Talwandi Sabo, the whole panth was united. When rest of India saw the unity of Sikhs as was evident for the one day Panjab bandh ( shut down of Panjab), that time every officer who was someone in these secret agencies of Government of India was crapping in their pants. So the back stabbing , cloak and daggering started. First, the Jathedars (who act as the family servants of Badals, anyway) dissociated themselves. Then the Sants and Babas of Sant Samaj deserted - after the putting up the drama show of courting arrests.. Only a day after that, Mr Sarna, and Rode ( of the Akali 1920 - the Akali branch of the Congress Party) also seemed to have deserted.

I am surprised though that no one from the Sant and Babas was arrested. In situations like the present, they always arrest some from the so called Sants and Babas for 'safe keeping' and put them in political jails with all the facilities provided. ( go back to the history from 1947 on) . When the Government agencies need them , they are brought out and shown as the ones who has suffered a lot for the Sikh cause because they were jailed. For the show they are given meaning less importance till the next crises. Every subsequent young generation falls for it. I hope that the young people don't fall for this trick again this time.

Now who is going to fall victim of the coming repression? It will be the remaining members of the Khalsa Action Committee and the other youth who sincerely believe that they can bring some change. . I pray to God that we don't end up loosing another generation of youth as we have been doing for a few generations now.

(Fellows read your history. If you want Sikhism to survive, stand up and unite- abandon your misplaced loyalties to Sant Babas, most of whom are there for accumulating wealth for themselves and showing off only. Don't give these old scheming ,so called, leaders more importance than they deserve )

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