SC to hear Dera Sacha Sauda plea on Jun 4

New Delhi, Jun 3: The Supreme Court will hear a petition tomorrow filed by the Dera Sacha Sauda seeking directions to authorities to provide protection to the Deras and followers of the sect.

Dera Sacha Sauda had filed a petition in the apex court following threats from the Sikh clergy either to vacate the Deras in Punjab or to face the consequences.

The Sikh community is feeling offended due to the appearance of posters showing Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the attire of the tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.

The Supreme Court had earlier refused to prepone the hearing and had directed the petition to be listed for hearing on June 4.

A Vacation Bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and DK Jain shall decide tomorrow whether any directions need be issued to the Centre, the state of Punjab, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir to provide adequate protection to the 140 deras spread in various parts of the country.

Akal Takht, the supreme seat of Sikh religion has issued an ultimatum to the government of Punjab and Haryana either to arrest Gurmeet Ram Rahim by June 18 or the Sikh clergy will launch a peaceful agitation for the arrest of the Dera chief, who is presently in Sirsa,Haryana.

The situation was somewhat defused when the Dera chief apologised to Guru Gobind Singh and not to the Sikh religious leaders. The apology was however rejected by the Akal Takht.

According to Sikh leaders, Dera chief is involved in several criminal cases, including sexual exploitation of women and such a person must be arrested immediately.

The Supreme Court will also hear the PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed by a woman advocate Harvinder Kaur who is seeking protection both for the Deras as well as the Sikh community.

Sacha Sauda has about 1.5 crore followers.

Sikh leaders are demanding that the Dera chief should appear before the Akal Takht to tender an apology and if he is pardoned by the Akal Takht, the Sikh clergy may call off the agitation against him.

UNI

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