The Haryana Police on Friday said that Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s adopted daughter Honeypreet Insan had distributed Rs 1.25 crore among a few followers of the sect to incite violence in Panchkula on August 25, The Times of India reported. She is believed to have asked them to cause a ruckus if the religious leader was convicted in the rape cases against him.
In August, Haryana Inspector General of Police KK Rao had said security officials had thwarted Ram Rahim’s plans to escape by using a red bag as a signal to his supporters to create a frenzy. The police were criticised for inefficiency after nearly 40 people died and over 250 were injured in the violence that erupted after he was pronounced guilty in two rape cases.
“We have evidence, including recovery of Rs 24 lakh from one of the Dera followers, which clearly indicated that money used to incite violence was routed through Honeypreet,” the Hindustan Times quoted AS Chawla as saying. He added that the Dera men planned to help Ram Rahim escape while he was being taken to Ambala jail after his conviction. However, the plan failed as the religious leader was taken to the Rohtak jail instead.
On Thursday, Chawla had said that Honeypreet Insan was not cooperating with the investigation. “If this continues, we will ask for [an increased] remand,” ANI had quoted Chawla as saying. A Panchkula court had sent her to six-day police remand on Wednesday.
The Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s adopted daughter had been missing for over a month before she was arrested in Punjab on Tuesday. Chawla said the person who helped them find Honeypreet Insan’s location was also being interrogated.
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