The rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Insan and two doctors have been formally charged on Friday in a case related to the castration of around 400 disciples inside the dera premises.
A special CBI court in Panchkula framed charges against Ram Rahim and doctors, Pankaj Garg and MP Singh alias Mahender Insan for causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means, cheating and criminal conspiracy among others, paving the way for beginning the trial against them.
While both the doctors were present in court on Friday, Ram Rahim attended the hearing via video conferencing from Rohtak’s Sunaria jail. The matter has been posted for hearing on August 17.
Notably, the CBI investigation into the charges of forced castration was ordered by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The CBIijstarted the probe in 2015.
In its chargesheet filed earlier this year in the matter, the CBI had stated that Ram Rahim, doctors, Pankaj Garh and MP Singh had conspired to castrate the followers and as part of the conspiracy, the surgery was conducted on the devotees at Sirsa based dera campus.
The investigating agency had charged the dera chief and doctors for criminal conspiracy, voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous weapons and criminal intimidation. Petitioner Hans Raj Chauhan had alleged that some 400 Dera followers were castrated with the false hope that their emasculation would lead to realisation of God through Ram Rahim.
Notably, the dera chief was jailed last year after a CBI court convicted him of raping women disciples. Ram Rahim had been sentenced to 20 years of prison in the case.
After Ram Rahim’s conviction, violence had erupted in several parts of Haryana, especially in Panchkula on August 25 last year. The violence had left 41 people dead and over 260 injured in the state.