Over ten days since they first went missing, the Haryana Police continued their chase for Honeypreet Insan and Aditya Insan, two key followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda, whose head Gurmeet Ram Rahim SIngh was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in jail for double charges of rape on 28 August.
The Haryana Police had first issued a lookout notice for Honeypreet, Ram Rahim’s ‘adopted daughter’, and Dera PRO Aditya on 1 September after they were charged with sedition for allegedly conspiring to help the Dera Chief escape post his conviction.
The two have been on the run since 25 August.
Police Conducts Raids Near Nepal, Mumbai
As the duo continued to evade the police, the cops on 6 September conducted raids in Mumbai and areas near Nepal in search of the fugitives. The Haryana police said they were in touch with forces in other states and was hopeful the two Dera Sacha Sauda functionaries would soon be arrested.
The police had earlier sent a team to Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh bordering Nepal in search of Honeypreet, as it was suspected that she might have left for Nepal through the India-Nepal border.
The police on 4 September also nabbed a chemist in Panchkula, in connection with the sedition case filed against Honeypreet. According to TOI, the Panchkula police picked up chemist Satpal Singh after it was discovered that he was instrumental in providing logistic support and shelter to Honeypreet after she escaped on 25 August following the violence.
Ram Rahim’s ‘Escape Plan’: 5 Haryana Policemen Dismissed
The Quint had earlier reported that Honeypreet had been part of a conspiracy, involving a ‘mysterious red bag’, to help Ram Rahim escape from the Panchkula court on 25 August.
KK Rao, IG, Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), Haryana had told The Quint:
Baba hatched a rare conspiracy with his supporters to escape from the court if at all he was convicted. And we had no prior information about it.
Five Haryana policemen, who were part of Ram Rahim Singh’s security and were charged with sedition, were dismissed from service, State DGP B S Sandhu said on Thursday.
Sedition and attempt to murder charges were slapped against seven persons, including five police personnel, who were part of the Dera chief's security when he arrived at Panchkula to appear before a CBI court on 25 August.
They allegedly tried to free the Dera chief when he was brought outside the Panchkula Court complex, after a special CBI court convicted him in a 15-year-old rape case, the police had said earlier.
The Dera supporters were allegedly signalled by Ram Rahim on the day of the court verdict, with the help of a red bag.
The arrested police personnel were in the ranks of sub- inspector, assistant sub-inspector, head constable and constable, officials had earlier said. A key Dera functionary, who was booked on sedition charges, has also been arrested by the police today, the DGP said.
Honeypreet, who is now on the police radar, is known to be Ram Rahim’s confidante and is likely to succeed him as the Dera Sacha Sauda’s head. The self-styled godman, who was convicted in two rape cases, has made several pleas to the court for Honeypreet to be allowed to ‘look after him’ in prison.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI)
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