Dera Sacha Sauda
See also Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan
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The sect
The Dera Sacha Sauda [The Home of Honest Transactions] sect was founded by Shah Mastana of Baluchistan in 1948. Another popular guru Shah Satnam succeeded Mastana, and remained the head from 1948 to 1960. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh [born 1967] took charge of the dera at the age of 23 1n 1990.
For long, it was just another sect in Haryana. Not exactly an exception in the northern India dotted by hundreds of deras of all sizes.
However, it has gained in size, number of followers and assets at an exponential rate in last couple of decades. That Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, as its head, is credited for this transformation became clear when he anointed his son, Jasmeet, a businessman, as his next successor. There was no murmur against the breaking of the old custom of appointing dera heads.
Jasmeet, now known as Jasmeet Singh Insan, was declared as next successor through a will after the CBI had filed a chargesheet against Gurmeet in rape and murder cases in 2007.
Jasmeet is married to former Punjab MLA and Congress leader Harminder Singh Jassi's daughter. He has two daughters as well.
The dera claims to have been raking in money from its chief's musical and film career, though the box office and album sales are contested. There are other financial avenues available too. The dera also runs online business, launched in February last year, to sell around 151 products, including food items. The same items are also sold by his followers through their own business establishments, including highway dhabas. There is, however, no data or even reliable estimates on how big the dera's business is.
The ashram has branches in Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Chandigarh.
The main campus in Sirsa is spread over around 700 acres, which includes dera's official headquarters, a hospital, educational institutions, place to deliver sermons, and a sports complex. In November 2014, Dera Sacha Sauda opened SMG Resorts, a world-class five-star hotel and resort.
Some 10 years before this, in August 2004, DSS had established Shah Satnam Ji Cricket Stadium, which includes three pitches of international standards, lush green outfield having the capacity of 35,000 spectators, with 1,000 well-seated pavilion for dignitaries and guests.
DSS claims that the stadium has the first and foremost automated pitch cover (first time in the world) designed and developed by the spiritual leader himself. Another one his "innovations".
Timeline
Dera Sacha Sauda: The journey so far |TNN | Aug 25, 2017 | IndiaTimes/ The Times of India
- Dera Sacha Sauda was founded by Shah Mastana of Baluchistan in 1948
- Shah Satnam succeeded Mastana and remained head from 1948 to 1960
- Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh took charge in 1990 at age 23
- Dera's number of followers and assets rose at an exponential rate in [roughly 1995-2017].
- After CBI filed chargesheet against him in rape and murder cases in 2007, Gurmeet anointed his son, Jasmeet, a businessman, as his next successor
- Jasmeet is married to former Punjab MLA and Congress leader Harminder Singh Jassi's daughter
- Dera claims it earns from Gurmeet's musical and film career
- It launched online business in February last year to sell around 151 products, including food items
- Ashram has branches in Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Chandigarh
- Main campus in Sirsa spread over around 700 acres
Cases against Dera chief
- In 2002, then PM Vajpayee gets anonymous letter alleging sexual harassment of sadhvis inside the Sirsa dera
- Sept 2002 | HC refers matter to CBI for probe after receiving inquiry report from Sirsa sessions judge
- July 2006 | One sadhvi makes a statement under Section 164 of CrPC and substantiates the allegations of rape
- July 2007 | CBI files chargesheet against dera head under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC
- Sept 2007 | HC gives him anticipatory bail
- Sept 2008 | CBI court frames charges against him under Section 376
- Feb 2009 | One sadhvi substantiates allegations of rape during trial
- Sept 2010 | Another sadhvi makes statement under oath and substantiates rape allegations
- Aug 1, 2017| Special CBI judge reserves verdict
2002: Judge casts aspersions on dera
While it took 15 years for investigation agencies and courts to punish Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for sexual exploitation of sadhvis, a judge had talked about this in an inquiry report in 2002.
In his detailed report which he prepared on the directions from the Punjab & Haryana HC, the then Sirsa district and sessions judge M S Sullar (who later retired as an HC judge) had observed: “It was less a religious dera than a business centre.“
The judge had also suggested that the truth of the dera could be ascertained if the matter was probed by a central agency . The inquiry report had also held that many “armed persons were freely roaming around the dera and number of influential persons like CMs of various states, including Punjab and Haryana, prominent political leaders, bureaucrats, doctors, engineers and other dignitaries have been visiting the dera.“
“There are more than 100 sadhvis (women disciples) permanently residing there besides other male and female disciples. Baba Gurmeet Singh is residing in a palatial `gufa' and nobody is allowed without his bodyguard's permission. Nobody in the dera is prepared to disclose sexual abuse of girls.There is no access to the hostel where sadhvis are residing without the baba's permission,“ the report said.
Recommending a CBI probe, the judge concluded: “To me, the truth can only be ascertained if the matter is secretly investigated through the central agency . Due to paucity of time, I could not lay my hands on any direct material.“
Sex with Baba was called his forgiveness
It was more than 10 years after their rapes that the two survivors finally recorded their statements before the judges in 2009 and 2010. These first-hand accounts of the sufferings of the two sadhvis eventually sealed the fate of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, leading to his conviction.
In their depositions on oath before CBI judges, the sadhvis had given the sequences of events, narrating horrifying tales of how the “powerful Baba“ used to rape them and other women of the dera inside his `gufa' (a customised underground chamber that was his personal residence).
According to these statements, copies of which are with TOI, the survivors stated that while raping, Gurmeet used to flaunt his `clout' and his status as `god'. They also disclosed that the word `maafi' (pardon) was the code used among disciples to describe rapes. Only female disciples were deployed to guard his underground living quarters, the statement said.
The survivors said in their depositions that most of the girls chose to stay inside the dera after being impres sed with his stature as a spiritual leader and also because their family members were his staunch followers.
According to one survivor, from Yamunanagar in Haryana, who deposed before special CBI judge A K Verma on February 28, 2009, she started living in the dera in July 1999 because of her brother, who was later murdered reportedly for seeking justice for his sister. The sadhvi said initially she did not understand when female disciples used to ask her whether she had been “granted maafi by pitaji“. This became clear when she was called inside the “gufa“ on August 2829, 1999, and raped by Gurmeet.
Another sadhvi deposed on September 9, 2010, that she joined the dera in June 1998 and was given the name Nazam by Gurmeet. A native of Sirsa, she became a follower because of her parents and used to teach at the dera.
In September 1999, when she was guarding the `gufa', she was called inside and raped by the dera head, who threatened her not to talk about the crime to anyone.
Ashrams of the Dera
An overview
Dera Sacha Sauda has ashrams in Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Chandigarh. Its headquarter is located at Sirsa in Haryana. The main campus is over 700 acres.
Since Baba Ram Rahim called himself a saint, a cave seemed to be the natural moniker for his private quarters at the sprawling dera (ashram) spread over 700 acres in the town of Sirsa, in Haryana.
The mirrored windows of his massive private residence hid stories of sexual exploitation, not heard since the Sultanate where emperors would have harems for concubines.
See also
Godmen and cult leaders: India <>
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan <>
Rampal Singh Jatin @ Rampal, cult leader <>
Dera Sacha Sauda <>
