Police team again grills Sacha Sauda chief

Sirsa, Aug 24: A 23-member Punjab police team today reached here to interrogate Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh and collect a few more items in connection with a case against him of hurting religious feeling of Sikhs during a baptisation ceremony.

Eight Punjab policemen, including three officers led by DSP (detective) Surender Pal Singh, entered the residence of the Dera Chief at 1114 hrs and were grilling him when the reports last came late this afternoon.

Earlier, talking to reporters at Sirsa Sadar police station, DSP Singh said that the Punjab police wanted to grill the Dera Chief and some other people regarding the case in which he was accused of hurting Sikh sentiments by donning an elaborate attire and baptising his disciples allegedlly in emulation of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.

Mr Singh said that police this time was looking for some more articles related to the controversial ceremony held at Salabatpura in Punajb's Bathinda district, including the vessel in which the baptisation liquid ''Jam-e-Insa'' was kept, the vedio, photos and other documents.

In its earlier visit 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.

When quizzed by the media over some women Dera followers posing a human bomb threat to anti-dera elements and VIPs, the DSP said that his team too, felt vulnerable, adding that ''though we feel that thee threat is real, however, it was our job to keep working under difficult situations.'' Of the 23-member team from Punjab which arrived here at 0930 hrs, 8 were commandoes and three officers.

Only eight, including the DSP, SHO Kotwali Bhatinda Harvinder Singh Virk and SI Kuldip Singh, went inside the Dera.

They were accompanied by SHO Sirsa Sadar, Maujiram.

UNI