CHANDIGARH: The CBI on Thursday submitted its chargesheet against jailed Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and two doctors in connection with the castration of hundreds of followers inside the dera. The chargesheet was filed before the special CBI court in Panchkula which had earlier convicted Gurmeet of rape.

The two doctors — Dr Pankaj Garg and Dr M P Singh — have been charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means, criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation and cheating.

The dera chief was jailed in August last year after he was convicted of raping two of his women disciples. Dr M P Singh too is in judicial custody in connection with the violence that had erupted in Panchkula after Gurmeet was convicted, leading to the death of 36 dera followers in police firing.

It was on December 23, 2014 that the Punjab and Haryana high court had ordered a CBI investigation into charges of forced castration of followers inside the dera after hearing a petition by one Hans Raj Chauhan. He had claimed that he and some 400 other followers were allegedly castrated with the false hope that the emasculation would lead to realisation of God through Gurmeet.

It was alleged that the castration was done by doctors working for the dera’s hospital. The dera lawyers argued that the procedure was performed with the consent of the followers.



In Video: Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim chargesheeted in mass castration case