Explosives found on dera campus, forensic team inspects 'gufa'

SIRSA: Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had direct access to the sadhvis’ hostel inside the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa. A government team conducting a search operation inside the 750-acre campus, under the supervision of court commissioner AKS Pawar on Saturday, found the tunnel connecting the ground floor of the Dera head’s plush residence (gufa) to the hostel. The tunnel, which has four rooms along with attached washrooms, appears self-sufficient.The team stumbled upon an illegal firecracker factory on the campus and seized 84 cartons of crackers. The crackers were being manufactured locally with enough explosive material for large-scale production.The government team also found blank boxes of magazines for AK 47 rifles from inside the dera.The search and seizure operation is being conducted with the help of a large posse of police, paramilitary personnel along with other government officials.“Officials have found a window-shaped secret tunnel that connected Ram Rahim’s gufa or terawas to the hostel," said Haryana deputy director of public relations Satish Mehra. He, however, refused to give details like the size and length of the tunnel. Some chemicals used in the production have been seized. Station house officer Dinesh Kumar said, “We have booked the unidentified owner of the factory.”Gurmeet has been convicted of raping at least two sadhvis in 2002 and sentenced to 20 years in jail. There are allegations that he sexually exploited a large number of the women disciples over the years. Sources said constructions like this tunnel may have allowed him to continue with his exploitation without being noticed by other followers in the dera.Sources told TOI that the warden’s room in the home for adopted girls also had a secret passage which was hidden behind a cupboard and led to a large congregation hall in which followers gathered. The home is known as the Shahi Betiyan Basera and housed women and girls of different ages who were either orphans or hand only one parent.Government officials told TOI that he district child protection officer and the Child Welfare Committee had inspected the home recently and told the dera to seal it. An official requesting anonymity said, “During the inspection, we traced the door in the room occupied by the wrden and caretakers. We objected to it and told the management that such a facility could land them in trouble in the future.” According to the official, the five rooms where girls lived had no such doors.Raj Kingra, a former member of the 45-member management committee of the dera said, “The hidden door from Shahi Basera led to two more doors and were interlinked.”In 2010, the army intelligence raised the issue of elaborate weapons training inside the dera that could create trouble in the future. A major concern of the army officials was that ex-servicemen may be used for the training and had issued an advisory to its troops to stay away from the dera.