CHANDIGARH: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and two doctors were formally charged on Friday in a case related to the castration of Dera disciples.
A special CBI court in Panchkula charged Gurmeet Ram Rahim for cheating, voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons and for criminal intimidation. Dr Pankaj Garg and Dr MP Singh, who were allegedly involved in the castration of several hundreds of Dera followers, were charged for grievous hurt and criminal conspiracy.
Both the doctors were present in the CBI court, while Gurmeet Ram Rahim was available via video conference as he is in a Rohtak jail serving a 20-year sentence for raping two devotees inside the Dera headquarters. The next date of hearing in the case is August 17.
Sources said six victims deposed against Gurmeet Ram Rahim and stated hat they were castrated by the two doctors at the behest of the Dera head.
As per the CBI charge sheet, a Dera follower submitted a list of 166 devotees who were allegedly castrated at the behest of Ram Rahim in early 2000 at different places, including the Dera headquarters in Sirsa. Before his arrest, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh hit the headlines for his garish clothes and his foray into movies.