Despite arrest warrant, Haryana Police let Dera chief aide go after questioning

The Haryana Police on Wednesday questioned a close aide of jailed rape convicted Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh but let her go despite a standing arrest warrant against her from a Panchkula court.

Vipassana, the chairperson of the sect headquarters near Sirsa town in Haryana and a close aide of the sect chief, was questioned in Sirsa town for nearly five hours after she appeared before them following summons being issued.

However, the Sirsa police officials did not bother to arrest her despite a court in Panchkula, adjoining Chandigarh, issuing arrest warrants against her last month for her alleged role in the violence following the sect chief's conviction in two cases of rape.

"She (Vipassana) appeared here (Sirsa) today (Wednesday). We questioned her on many things. We informed the Panchkula police that she is here. After questioning, we let her go after noting down details about her whereabouts," a police officer told media in Sirsa.

The special investigation team (SIT) of Haryana Police had obtained the arrest warrants against Vipassana after its investigations revealed her alleged role in planning and inciting violence which left 38 people dead and 264 injured after Ram Rahim was convicted on two counts of rape on August 25 last year.

Despite the SIT conducting raids at the Sirsa headquarters of the sect and other places, Vipassana had been eluding the police since January 10.

Police officials said that Vipassana had gone into hiding and was not appearing before the Panchkula police.

Police officials believe that Vipassana holds the key to important developments in the sect in the run-up to the violence following the conviction of the sect chief and also regarding the illegal actions and dealings of the sect chief and his close aides.

--IANS

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