Case against dera saint

Molestation Charge
Case against dera chief Shankaranand
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

source http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070726/punjab1.htm#20

Talwandi Khurd, July 25
The Mullanpur police has booked Swami Shankaranand, head of a dera by the same name in this village, for allegedly molesting a woman, besides beating her up along with her brother in the dera complex this morning.

The police registered the case against him and some of his followers late in the evening after a day-long tense drama. About 500 persons, including a large number of women, belonging to Mor Karima village laid siege to the Shankaranand dera for nearly seven hours today in protest against the incident.

The accused was booked under sections 323, 341, 354, 427 and 506 of the IPC on a complaint of the woman.

The dera head was granted bail in the evening.

According to Gurmail Singh, sarpanch of Mor Karima village, the woman and her brother had gone to pay obeisance at the dera. Some dera sewaks objected to the manner in which they parked their car. An argument took place at which the sewaks and the dera head allegedly beat them up.

The two were left with swollen eyes and torn clothes. They later called up their relatives in Mor Karima village. The entire village came to their help and staged a dharna.

The situation remained volatile and tense throughout the day. The police was present in large numbers along with the anti-riot squad and a CRPF battalion to control the mob.

The victims claimed their brother had died under mysterious circumstances in the dera three years ago. They had been demanding action against some sewaks.