SC declines to entertain petition on Dera chief

New Delhi, June 6 (UNI) The Supreme Court today declined to entertain a writ petition filed by Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak committee(DSGPC) seeking directions to the CBI to expedite its investigation into criminal cases pending against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and B P Singh declined to entertain the petition on the grounds that Punjab and Haryana High Court was already monitoring the investigation and there was no need for this court to interfere.

Earlier, counsel for the petitioner had contended that the investigation in the criminal cases against Dera chief which include rape and murder is being delayed by the CBI and it will be in the interest of justice to direct the agency to speed up the investigation.

When the court was going to dismiss the petition the counsel for the petitioner sought permission to withdraw it. The court assented and the petition was dismissed as withdrawn.

Sikh clergy is annoyed with the Dera Chief after his posters in the attire of Guru Gobind Singh appeared and since then the Sikh clergy has been demanding that he should vacate all Deras in Punjab or he should appear before the Akal Takht personally and apologise and if he is pardoned then the agitation may be withdrawn.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim who is presently staying in Sirsa, Haryana had earlier tendered apology to Guru Gobind Singh and not to the Sikh clergy which has since been rejected by the Akal-Takht.

Sacha Sauda has more than one hundred and fourty deras and has a following of 1.5 crores in Punjab,Haryana,Delhi and Jammu&Kashmir.

UNI