Did Dera Sacha Sauda Illegally Donate Bodies to Lucknow Medical College? Probe On

Chandigarh: Taking cognisance of a media report, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij has ordered an inquiry to ascertain if the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda had sent 14 bodies to a medical college in Lucknow earlier this year in violation of rules.

He has asked the Director General of Health Services to complete the inquiry at the earliest.

"There have been reports in the media of about 14 bodies being sent from the Dera Sacha Sauda to a medical college in Lucknow. If this was done, all formalities should have been completed. The reason for sending the bodies must also be ascertained," Vij said.

The head of Dera Sacha Sauda, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, is in jail after being convicted of rape.

A team of forensic experts has also inspected the so-called 'gufa' (cave) at the Dera Sacha Sauda’s Sirsa den where Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is said to have exploited women. The 'gufa' was inspected by the forensic experts from IIT Roorkee as part of sanitisation of the sprawling Dera campus.

The ‘sanitisation’ drive entered its second day on Saturday with hundreds of security personnel, including paramilitary, and local administration involved in the exercise.

Curfew continues in the area around the sprawling Dera campus. The search operation to sanitise the sect premises started on Friday with a few computers, a luxury SUV and some currency notes being seized.

According to sources, the search teams had also found hundreds of pairs of shoes, designer clothes and colourful caps of the disgraced sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

JCB machines, locksmiths, forensic experts and dog squads have been called in to assist in the comprehensive search. Internet services in Sirsa district were suspended by local authorities on Friday.

Ahead of the start of the search operations, the Dera mouthpiece ‘Sach Kahoon’ had admitted to human remains being buried at the property, claiming they were donated by followers who did not wish to “pollute the rivers”. The paper claimed the Dera had planted trees where the bodies were buried.

(With agency inputs)