Dera followers signed their own 'death warrants', reveals affidavit

PANCHKULA: "I have dedicated my life to the cause of humanity that has been promoted by the Dera Sacha Sauda. If I die in an accident or in any other way, I will be responsible for it. No one else can be held responsible for my death. Dera Sacha Sauda too will not be responsible for my death. None of my descendants or family members will have the right to hold Dera Sacha Sauda responsible for my death." This is an affidavit signed by one Indu, a resident of Sirsa, on October 20, 2005. It is one of many such documents prepared, purportedly by dera followers after the CBI started investigating into various alleged criminal activities of the dera Prepared on a registered stamp paper , many such documents have started coming in the public domain after dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted on August 25 by a CBI court of raping two of his sadvis.Police officials say that these documents show that the dera was preparing its own so-called 'suicide squad' of followers. According to cops, the followers could go to any extent to create chaos and build pressure on investigating agencies probing cases against the dera head."We had intelligence inputs about these squads being re-activated this time as well," says IG, intelligence, A K Rao.On August 27, cops had arrested two people from Ambala with Rs 38 lakh. The money was to be used to create chaos and rioting on Monday and was to be distributed among followers who were ready to do anything .Another Sirsa resident, Sheila Rani, had in 2005 prepared an affidavit that read: “For about three years, CBI has been investigating the dera and the investigating officers are trying to implicate the dera head, its managers and sewadars in false cases. I have decided without any pressure to sit on a hunger strike until CBI withdraws its cases. If I die like this, it will be my own doing and without any external pressure.“Police officials told TOI that there are hundreds of such affidavits prepared by dera followers