[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On the second day of the sanitisation operation at convicted rapist Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa, illegal firecracker factory and tunnel connecting godman’s cave to residence of ‘Sadhvis’ found

As the sanitisation operation at convicted rapist Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s Dera Sacha Sauda entered its second day on Saturday, more evidence of the shady operations at the sect’s headquarters in Haryana’s Sirsa district continued to tumble out. The operation has been ordered by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

On Saturday, the investigation team led by Court Commissioner, retired District and Sessions Judge AKS Pawar, and comprising companies of the paramilitary forces and Haryana police unearthed a huge cache of explosive, an illegal fire-cracker factory and, most significantly, a window-shaped tunnel connecting the ‘cave’ in which Gurmeet Ram Rahim lived with the residence of his female followers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Though the operation is still far from over and is likely to continue for at least another day, police sources who are part of the sanitisation team said they suspect that the self-styled godman, who was convicted by a special CBI court of raping two of his female followers in 2002, may have used the tunnel to access the residence of ‘sadhvis’ staying inside the 800-acre Dera campus. Sources said they will try to ascertain if the rapist godman used this tunnel to visit sadhvis for exploiting them sexually.

A team of forensic experts from IIT-Roorkee that had been summoned to inspect the Dera headquarters on Friday after some skeletons were unearthed from the campus during the operation have also inspected the godman’s cave to determine if forensic evidence could be gathered from the place to link Gurmeet Ram Rahim with any other criminal activity.

The team has also found explosives used in making fire-crackers and an illegal factory for this purpose in the Dera premises. “An illegal fire-cracker factory has been found inside the Dera and has been sealed by the sanitisation team,” said state information and public relations department deputy director, Satish Mehra. Mehra has been authorised by the Haryana administration to give out details about the operation as it is out of bounds for the media.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Sources said that empty boxes which are generally used to store cartridges of the AK-47 assault rifle have also been recovered from the premises. It may be recalled that at least 33 rifles aside from hundreds of live cartridges and other crude and modified sharp-edged weapons had been surrendered by Dera followers before the Sirsa police in the days immediately prior to the sanitisation operation.

Meanwhile, in a related development, the Haryana police have arrested two Dera followers for allegedly inciting violence in Panchkula on August 25 after the special CBI court found Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty of raping two of his female followers.

“Chamkaur Singh, in-charge of the Dera centre in Panchkula and Daan Singh, a key Dera functionary, have been arrested from Chandigarh,” Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police Manbir Singh said. A Punjab police commando Karamjit Singh, who was part of Ram Rahim’s security was also arrested by the Haryana police from Patiala for his alleged role in hatching a conspiracy to free Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh from the Panchkula court complex after his conviction, police sources said.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]