Dera head’s custody: HC says allow him time to contest trial court order

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has observed that Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim should be given an opportunity to contest any trial court order that grants his custodial interrogation to Punjab in sacrilege cases. The Dera head, the court observed, should be allowed to do so before he is taken into police custody for interrogation.

The bench of Justice Amol Rattan Singh is hearing the petition filed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh against the Faridkot court’s production warrant granted to Punjab Police SIT for probe in sacrilege case.

While the hearing in the matter, counsel for Ram Rahim, Senior Advocate Vinod Ghai along with Advocates Kanika Ahuja and Kirti Ahuja, contended that petitioner has been allegedly named by a witness under pressure and not in a voluntary statement.

Punjab Advocate General D S Patwalia submitted that the petitioner has been named as the prime accused in the matter, not just on the statement of one witness (Pardeep Kumar) but by other witnesses also.