HC confirms bail to doctor in dera castration case

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 16

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday confirmed interim bail granted to Dr Pankaj Garg, one of the accused in Dera Sacha Sauda followers’ alleged castration case.

The agency had recently filed a charge sheet against dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh,, along with Dr Garg and two others. Ram Rahim was presently lodged in Sunaria Jail in Rohtak for raping two sadhvis.

Garg’s counsel RS Rai had earlier contended before Justice Augustine George Masih’s Bench that the offence under Section 326 was triable by a magistrate, but punishment for the offence was up to life and, as such, the magistrate might not have the power to grant bail.

Handing over the probe to the CBI in December 2014, the High Court had rapped the Haryana Police for letting “grass to grow under its feet” and conducting “worthless investigation” in the case allegedly involving Ram Rahim.

The order came nearly two years after Hans Raj Chauhan of Fatehabad district alleged that the followers were castrated after giving them the false hope that “males who would get castrated would be able to achieve God through Ram Rahim”.

In its petition before the High Court, an NGO — Lawyers for Human Rights International — through counsel Navkiran Singh had furnished a list of 166 allegedly castrated persons.