Police grills Sauda chief, collects evidence, to come again

Sirsa, Aug 24 (UNI) A Punjab police team today grilled Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh for five hours and collected some documents, including magazines, in connection with a case against him of hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs during a baptisation ceremony.

The police team, which visited the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters here for the third time, would come again on September 8 to continue the investigations.

Eight Punjab policemen, including three officers led by DSP (detective) Surender Pal Singh, entered the ''gufa'' the secluded residencial chamber of the Dera Chief at 1114 hrs and questioned him for five hours.

They also searched the Dera premises and seized two magazines, one in Punjabi language and the other in Hindi.

One of the magazines had published a special issue covering the controversial 'Jam-e-Insa'' ceremony held by the Dera Chief on May 12 at Salabatpura in Punjab's Bathinda district.

During the ceremony the Dera Chief had donned an elaborate attire while baptising his disciples allegedly in emulation of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.

DSP Singh, while talking to reporters after coming out of the Dera, said not much could be extracted from today's questioning and the team will come back on September 8 to continue the probe in the case.

''I can not divulge what exactly transpired but we will have to come again,'' he said.

Mr Singh said his team was unable to recover, among other things, the vessel containing the baptisation liquid ''Jam-e-Insa'', video and photos of the ceremony.

In its earlier visits to the Dera this month, Punjab Police had seized the controversial pink robe and the headgear worn by the Dera Chief during the mass baptisation ceremony.

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UNI