Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate to refer to Dera sanitisation report for probe

The Punjab and Haryana high court today directed central agencies--the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate--to examine the Dera Sacha Sauda sect's assets.

A view of the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa (File | PTI)

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court today directed central agencies--the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate--to examine the Dera Sacha Sauda sect's assets and check for violation of rules, two weeks after the sanitisation of the Dera complex was conducted under the supervision of a Court Commissioner.

The full bench of the court also passed directions for setting up tribunals in Haryana and Punjab to assess claims of properties damaged in the violence that followed the August 25 sentencing of sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was convicted for rape.

Court Commissioner AKS Pawar, who was appointed by the high court last month to oversee the sanitisation process of the sect's premises in Sirsa, Haryana, today sought a few more days to submit his report.

The Bench, comprising Justices A G Masih, Surya Kant and Avneesh Jhingan, granted Pawar time and said the sanitisation report, once submitted, would be handed over to the Centre, the Haryana government and the CBI.

The court was hearing a PIL filed last month by Panchkula resident Ravinder Dhull, who was concerned over the law and order situation in his town.

"The high court directed the ED and IT authorities to examine all properties of the Dera Sacha Sauda--moveable and immoveable-- and funds and see if there was any violation under the provisions of the IT Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act," Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Jain, who is representing the Centre in the case, said.

He told reporters here that the departments could initiate action, if necessary.

The IT and ED departments will wait for Pawar's report before starting the investigation, he said.

"The court granted time to Pawar after he stated that his voluminous report is almost ready and he was giving it its final touches," Jain said.

The three-day-long exercise to sanitise the sect headquarters at Sirsa, from September 8 to 10, had led to the unearthing of two secret tunnels, an illegal firecracker factory and the sealing of an unlicensed skin bank.

"The court also said all documents submitted by Pawar shall be kept in the custody of the Advocate General of Haryana and IT and ED officers will be entitled to see these documents only in the AG office," Jain said.

He also stated that the tribunals formed to assess claims of damaged properties will examine each case -- government and private.

"After the report, the high court will finally decide as to how much amount has to be paid and to whom," Jain added.

Petitioner Dhull told reporters the Bench also asked the Haryana government to clarify if any property was moved from the Sirsa-based headquarters before the sanitisation process.

Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda, who was also present in the court, submitted an expenditure of Rs 187 crore, incurred on the deployment of paramilitary forces in many parts of the state to check violence following the Dera chief's sentencing and conviction.

He further said public and private property worth Rs 2 crore was damaged in Punjab last month in the violence.

The next date of hearing in the case has been scheduled for November 8.