Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has questioned the anonymous letter, alleging sexual exploitation of ‘shadhvis’ (female disciples) in the dera, on the basis of which the rape case was registered against him. There are two rape victims in the case.
During the defence arguments in the CBI special court here on Monday, Ram Rahim’s counsel SK Garg Narwana said, “Both the victims had submitted that they had not written the letter. There were anti-dera forces which had circulated the letter”.
Notably, anonymous letters addressed to then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the chief justice of Punjab and Haryana high court, alleging sexual exploitation of female followers at the Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa, were circulated in 2002.
The high court had then ordered then Sirsa sessions judge to look into the matter. In his report, the judge had said that the possibility of sexual exploitation could not be ruled out. On September 24, 2002, the high court had handed over the case to the CBI.
While talking to mediapersons, Narwana raised the issue of handwriting matching of another letter, allegedly written by one of the rape victims on her last day in Dera to Ram Rahim in 2001. There was no mention of rape allegation in the letter.
“We want the letter to be examined in forensic laboratory of the CBI. This letter is very important for our defence,” he said.
He added, “The allegations are totally baseless. The rape allegations were got recorded after 7 years. It is not fair. The serious allegations should have been immediately written”.
On the question of the letter allegedly written by one of the victims, CBI counsel HPS Verma told the media that the letter had already been denied by the rape victim in her statement before the court.
She had told the court that it was not her handwriting, he said. The arguments of defence will continue on Tuesday also.
