Former Congress MLA questioned in Dera violence case 

Minutes after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh his supporters resorted to violence .(Express Photo)

HARMINDER SINGH Jassi, former Congress MLA from Punjab, was on Wednesday questioned for over seven hours by a special investigation team (SIT) in connection with the Dera Sacha Sauda violence in Panchkula on August 25 last year. Jassi’s daughter is married to Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s son.

Panchkula police summoned Jassi, a three-time MLA, to verify his role in the violence as he was found to have travelled from Mohali to Timber Trail in Parwanoo via Baddi along with the family members of the Dera head on August 25. Panchkula police had also established that from the Timber Trail, Jassi, along with Ram Rahim’s family members, went to Rohtak, picked Honeypreet and dropped her off at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa on August 26. Jassi was questioned at the Sector 20 police station. He arrived around 10.15 am and he was questioned till 5 pm.

Panchkula Police Commissioner A S Chawla, said, “Jassi accepted the fact that on the day of the violence, he along with family members of the Dera head travelled to Timber Trail and then back to Rohtak, picked Honeypreet and dropped her at the Dera headquarters. He maintained during the interrogation that he did all this due to his family ties with the Dera head. But he distanced himself from any activity of violence. He was also not clear on the question that either his security guards, who were provided to him by Punjab Police, were attached to the Dera head’s security detail.”

Police Commissioner AS Chawla maintained, “We also questioned him about the whereabouts of the other absconding accused, including Aditya Insan, but he expressed ignorance. He said at the time when the Dera head was convicted by the special CBI court in Panchkula, he was in Mohali. He received a call from the relatives of the Dera head. All of them went to Timber Trail, Parwanoo, to avoid getting stuck in the violence-hit areas. We will summon Jassi again.”

On Tuesday, Jassi sought exemption from appearing before SIT but it was rejected by the Panchkula police.