Jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s adopted daughter, Honeypreet Insan, who was arrested on sedition charges and for inciting violence following the conviction of dera chief on August 25, was sent to six-day police custody on Wednesday.
Honeypreet was arrested by Haryana Police on Tuesday from the Zirakpur-Patiala road in Punjab while travelling in a Toyota Innova, along with a woman associate. The duo was produced before Panchkula court on Wednesday afternoon after hours of interrogation.
While police had sought 14 days remand of Honeypreet from the court saying that she was the closest aide of rape convict Ram Rahim and could reveal about the dera sect role in the violence in Panchkula and other places on August 25, the defence counsel submitted before the court that the she was being falsely implicated in the case and could not be booked under sedition charges.
Honeypreet was produced before the Panchkula court amid tight security arrangements. Another woman, identified as Sukhdeep Kaur, who was arrested by Haryana Police along with her, was also sent to six-day police remand.
During over an hour long hearing that took place in the Panchkula court, Honeypreet stood in the courtroom with folded hands and was in tears pleading innocence. She told the court that she was innocent and had no role in inciting violence on August 25 following Ram Rahim’s conviction.
Priyanka Taneja (36), alias Honeypreet, who topped a list of 43 people “wanted” by the State police in connection with the violence, remained fugitive for 38 days after she was booked on charge of sedition.
Her name had been included in the same FIR in which other Dera functionaries Aditya Insan and Surinder Dhiman, among others, had been booked for allegedly inciting violence and arson.
The police had been on Honeypreet’s trail for nearly a month and raids were conducted in Nepal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.
After her arrest on Tuesday, she was brought to the Chandimandir police station, where she was questioned by a team of Haryana Police. The State Police also took her to the civil hospital for medical examination late Tuesday night.
Panchkula Police Commissioner AS Chawla has said Honeypreet’s role in the violence after Ram Rahim’s conviction will be probed.
Refuting rumours that Honeypreet had surrendered and was not arrested, Chawla had claimed that it was not a surrender but she was arrested by Haryana Police.
Before her arrest, Honeypreet, against whom a lookout notice and later an arrest warrant was issued, had told the news channels that allegations levelled against her were false.
In her interview, which went viral on the internet, Honeypreet was seen crying endlessly over the allegations against her and said she was devastated by allegations about her role in inciting the Panchkula violence and her illicit relationship with dera chief.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court on September 26 dismissed her anticipatory bail plea. “The plea is without merit. Honeypreet has been evading arrest in Haryana,” Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal had ruled on the plea of Honeypreet, who apprehended a threat to her life in Haryana.
Haryana Police told the court
Seeking 14 days police remand of Honeypreet, the prosecution told the court that she was the closest aide of Ram Rahim and knew many things about the activities of the sect and its role in the violence in Panchkula and other places after the August 25 conviction of Ram Rahim on two counts of rape.
It was stated that police needed to recover her mobile phone and investigate about her hideouts. Police have claimed that a meeting was held on August 17 in dera premises for hatching a conspiracy for August 25court case hearing and Honeypreet was present in the dera.
She was also allegedly in contact with other fugitives Aditya Insan and Pawan Insan, through Whatsapp calls and messages.
Counsel for the accused
Honeypreet’s counsel SK Garg Narwana told the court that she was wrongly implicated in the sedition case. While talking to mediapersons, Narwana said court heard all the arguments and sent her to six days police remand.
Narwana said grounds for seeking police remand were frivolous. She could not be booked in sedition case or vandalism as she was not present at the site of violence. She was innocent, he added.
Momin Malik, a human rights activist and Panipat-based advocate, who was also present in the courtroom to defend Honeypreet said just because she came along with an accused on August 25, she could not be booked under sedition charges.
Malik told mediapersons that a complaint against Vishwas Gupta, ex-husband of Honeypreet would be filed under defamation charges.