As per sources, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been charged as prime accused for this forced castration along with Dr Arun Gupta and Dr Mohinder Insan.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday filed a chargesheet against rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and two of his followers in a castration case in the court of special judicial magistrate Kapil Rathi in Panchkula.
Ram Rahim, who is serving a 20-year sentence in Rohtak’s Sunaria Jail for raping his women disciples, is also facing two murder trials.
The chargesheet was filed three years after the Punjab and Haryana high court ordered the CBI to probe into the charges of forced castration of his followers inside the dera after hearing a petition filed by the dera chief’s former follower, Hans Raj Chauhan.
The petitioner had claimed that he along with 400 followers were allegedly castrated inside the dera premises with the false hope that such emasculation would lead to realisation of God through the dera chief.
It was alleged that the castration process of followers was being done with the help of doctors employed at the dera hospital.
While a formal statement from the CBI is awaited, sources said that the dera chief has been charged as prime accused for this forced castration along with Dr Arun Gupta and Dr Mohinder Insan.
After the dera chief’s conviction in the rape case, the CBI questioned him in the Rohtak jail on the castration row and also said that people have come forward more openly about this issue after his conviction.
The court asked the CBI counsel to complete pending formalities by February 5 before it decides on the course of action.