Sikh groups want action against Dera chief in blasphemy case

JALANDHAR: Sikh groups have jointly sent a letter to chief minster Amarinder Singh demanding that a high level, time-bound probe be ordered “to fix responsibility of police officials and their political bosses who ensured that Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was not prosecuted in blasphemy case of 2007”. They have said that the Punjab government should get the case reopened as a petition challenging this discharge was still pending in the Punjab and Haryana high court.

In a letter sent to CM on Monday, prominent Sikh preacher Harjinder Singh Majhi and Alliance of Sikh Organizations (conglomerate of 30 Sikh groups) spokesperson Sukhdev Singh have alleged that Sirsa Dera followers could dare to indulge in sacrilege incidents at Bargari and at other places in 2015, only due to the reason that Gurmeet was saved unscathed by the Badal government in case of imitating 10th Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh in May 2007, in Salabatpura of Bathinda.

Identify the police officers, who in place of implementing the law, helped an accused and also bring out that what instructions were issued by the then chief minister and home minster to save the rape and murder convict Dera head and then action should be taken against the cops as well as the political bosses, the letter demanded.

“A petition filed by Jaspal Singh Manjhpur seeking reopening of the case is already pending in the Punjab and Haryana high court and is scheduled for hearing on February 13. You please issue instructions that the government presents correct facts before the court for the sake of justice so that ‘big and habitual criminal’ Gurmeet can be prosecuted and punished under sections 295 A and 153 of IPC,” the joint letter by Sikhs groups has demanded. The letter has also detailed timeline and important facts pertaining to the case.