Dera Sacha Sauda had allegedly spent Rs five crore to incite violence on August 25 when the court had convicted its chief Ram Rahim Singh in two rape cases, according to the Special Investigation Team, The Times of India reported on Thursday. The money meant to carry out violence is believed to have been sent to Panchkula and several places in Punjab.
The followers who protested after the court’s verdict were also promised compensation by the organisation’s leaders in case of loss of life, the English newspaper quoted unidentified officials as saying. According to the investigation, Dera Sacha Sauda’s Panchkula head Chamkaur Singh was responsible for spending the money received from the organisation’s management.
Chamkaur Singh and his family have been reported missing since a sedition case was filed against him on August 28 as per the orders of Haryana and Chandigarh High Court. “More details will emerge after we arrest Chamkaur Singh,” BS Sandhu, Haryana director general of police, told The Times of India. “Our teams are conducting raids at his possible hideouts.”
Meanwhile, the security was tightened around the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Haryana’s Sirsa district ahead of a “sanitation process” to be carried out on Thursday. An indefinite curfew was imposed around the premises, with certain relaxations during mornings and evenings.
Ram Rahim Singh was sentenced to 20 years in jail. The police were criticised for inefficiency after 38 people died and over 250 were injured in the violence that erupted after the verdict.
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