CHANDIGARH: In a huge blow to Gurmeet Ram Rahim, head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday ordered a CBI probe into the allegations of forced castration of his 400 Dera followers inside the ashram.

While actions on the petition filed by one of the castrated followers Hans Raj Chauhan, Justice K. Kannan passed the order.



In his petition, Chauhan had claimed that he, along with around 400 saints of dera, were castrated inside the ashram, Chauhan’s counsel Navkiran Singh said.

Chauhan said in the petition that they were assured that those who would get castrated will be able to meet God through the Dera head.

Taking cognizance of the petition, the HC had earlier ordered medical examination of petitioner Chauhan from the government multispecialty hospital (GMSH) at Sector-16, Chandigarh.

Speaking to Mail Today, Navkiran Singh said: “The single-judge bench ordered the registration of an FIR and asked the police to hand over the entire record to the CBI. The investigation will be supervised by the HC. The HC has asked the CBI to file the first status report on March 2. Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim is the prime accused in the case. Besides him, an FIR will also be registered against the doctors involved in the inhuman act of castration.”

The court while hearing the petition on December 17 had reserved its order in the case. The witnesses, who were castrated followers, had told the court that they had removed their testicles of their own.

“Would you allow cutting the head if someone offers the same,” the court said.

On December 17, the court had said that the case of castration cannot be termed as an act of ‘humanity’ even if the followers had given their consent for the castration.

Thirty-four-old Hans Raj Chauhan had joined Dera at the age of 16 and remained there for around 15 years. He was introduced to Dera chief by his own parents who were his followers for five decades.

“It was a major operation, which was very painful and we were on medical rest for 30 to 45 days. The castration is done every month in Dera Sacha Sauda complex,” Chauhan alleged.

Hans Raj Chauhan was compelled to leave the Dera in 2009, after he complained of some health issues.

Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2014. MTNPL. All rights reserved.