Cops sought quashing of case against Dera chief

However,Sidhu denied having given any such affidavit and demanded that “the case should continue and appropriate action should be taken in the case as per law”.

Sidhu,a sitting Akali councillor in Bathinda Municipal Corporation,later told The Sunday Express that the cancellation report submitted by the police on January 27 was most likely “associated” with the (January 30) Punjab polls and appeared to have been aimed at “extracting political mileage”.

“Police have submitted a false affidavit and attributed it to me,” he said.

Queried why would police submit a false affidavit,Sidhu said police might have been “under pressure” to do so.

On whether the ‘cancellation’ drama could have helped SAD in getting Dera support in polls,Sidhu said,“I am a loyal Akali worker. But,when it comes to religion,the religion is supreme.”

Meawnhile,Kotwali Station House Officer,Jagdish Lal,who filed the cancellation report,alleged that Sidhu was backtracking. “The affidavit has been given by him (Sidhu) only. But,he backtracked in the court today. It is for the court to decide now as to who is speaking the truth,” Lal said.

The police investigations have also revealed that no incident of copying Guru Gobind Singh by Dera chief took place as mentioned in the complaint with the police,Lal said,adding that it could not be proved that Gurmeet Ram Rahim visited Salabatpura at the time of the incident. “Jado vaakya hi nahi hoya,taan phir parcha kaahda (When the incident did not occur,there is no need of an FIR),” Lal added.

The Dera,however,said that there was no need to file a cancellation report in the case,which was already ‘null and void’. “We have spoken to our lawyers and they told us that the prosecution failed to present a challan in mandatory three year period after the registration of the case and hence the case had become null and void. The case was destined to be cancelled,” Dera’s political affairs committee spokesperson Ram Singh said.

“I do not see any connection between the Punjab polls and the cancellation report,” he added.

While there is a controversy over the authenticity of the affidavit,the alleged seeking of cancellation of case and the subsequent denial by the complainant,has added a new twist to the case triggering rumours that “SAD might be dissatisfied with the Dera for its overall role in January 30 polls and hence decided to keep the case going.”

Meanwhile,Bathinda District Attorney,I S Kingra,said there possibilities would come to forefront when the case comes up for next hearing on February 11. “The court can accept the cancellation report filed by the police or can order re-investigation into the case. Thirdly,the court can take cognisance of the case and order the trial on the basis of whatever has been submitted to it,” Kingra said.

In Amritsar,Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal,who paid obeisance at Golden Temple on Saturday,said that he had no knowledge about the cancellation report filed by the police in the case nor did he knew about the subsequent denial by the complainant.

The timing trigger

The timing of the cancellation report,which was filed in the court just three days ahead of the January 30 Punjab polls,and the subsequent denial by the complainant on Saturday,is being seen as an indicator of Dera’s political clout and its growing stature in being able to tilt the scales,especially in Malwa belt of Punjab.

Interestingly,the Dera had opened its cards pertaining to its stand in Punjab polls on January 28,a day after the Bathinda police filed the report seeking cancellation of the case. It was widely reported that the Dera had decided to support candidates as per the feedback from its followers. While it had decided to support a majority for Congress candidates,it had also decided to support top leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal as well as the PPP in some constituencies.

Case against ram rahim

Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was booked under section 295 A (hurting religious sentiments) on May 20,2007 on the complaint of Rajinder Singh Sidhu. The complannat had alleged that the Dera chief had imitated Guru Gobind Singh in a ceremony at sect’s Salabatpura Dera earlier that month. The ceremony,where Dera chief allegedly wore clothes similar to those worn by Guru Gobind Singh,was alleged to be akin to the ceremony of creation of Khalsa by the tenth Guru. The controversy triggered widespread violence between Sikhs and Dera followers. The Dera had even tendered an apology for the “sake of humanity” but had denied that Dera chief had copied the Guru. In a directive,the temporal seat of Sikhs Akal Takht asked Sikhs to snap all the ties with Dera in the aftermath of the controversy.