Even though the SIT of the Punjab police in its final report has blamed the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head for the 2015 sacrilege cases, the Congress has alleged that AAP government is trying to hush up the sacrilege cases, reports Rajesh Moudgil
The final report of the special investigation team (SIT) of the Punjab police probing into the three seven years old sacrilege cases has concluded that the crime was committed by the followers of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda on the instructions of Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim as revenge against allegedly insulting remarks against the Dera.
Even as these cases – which took place in 2015 – as well as the incident in which two anti-sacrilege protesters were killed in police firing that year, rocked the state, the demand for the arrests of those responsible for the sacrilege and police firing had also dominated the past two state elections since.
Submitted to the state government in April this year, the SIT report was made public a few days ago by chief minister Bhagwant Mann who handed over its copies to a delegation of Sikh leaders comprising Major Singh Pandori, Chamkaur Singh, Bhai Rupa, Resham Singh Khukhrana and Baldev Singh Joggewala, who had been pursuing the case.
The SIT was constituted on April 4, 2021, on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and in its final report, it has squarely blamed Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim as the conspirator besides naming several of his followers, some of whom are already in jail and three who have been absconding.
The 467-page SIT report also counters several claims made by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which did not find any evidence of Dera Sacha Sauda’s involvement.
For the record, the first case of sacrilege pertained to the theft of Guru Granth Sahib from Gurdwara Sahib at Burj Jawahar Singhwala on June 1, 2015, while on September 25, two posters containing derogatory remarks against the Sikh religion, Sikh preachers, and Guru Granth Sahib were found pasted outside Dhodha Peer Gate at Burj Jawahar Singhwala. The third incident was reported on October 12, when the pages of Guru Granth Sahib were found strewn outside the Bargari gurdwara as well as in the village streets.
According to the SIT report, the accused, Sukhjinder Singh alias Sunny, Shakti Singh, Baljit Singh, Randeep Singh alias Neela, Ranjit Singh alias Bhola, Nishan Singh, Narinder Sharma and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh (undergoing sentence at Sonaria Jail, Rohtak) were involved in the theft incident and later in throwing around the holy pages.
