New Delhi: Dera Sacha Saudha is a spiritual organisation based in Haryana and headed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Insaan.In a country like India where at least 30 percent of the population is illiterate, people can be easily swayed by words in the name of religion.Dera Sacha Sauda is mainly a Sikh based group meant for doing social and relief work, but the Sikhs disown this sect altogether. Blood donation camps, relief work, anti prostitution tree planting, disaster relief, and support for transgender people, tribal communities, orphans, and rehabilitation of sex workers is carried out by the organization. But the chief of the organization has been embroiled in many controversies. He has been accused of sexual abuse by a Sadhvi in 2002. She had written a letter to Atal Bihari Vajpayee complaining about him. Rahim Singh is also facing two murder charges. He is accused of murdering a Sirsa-based journalist, Ram Chander Chatrapati, who had been writing about the Dera's activities. Chatrapati was shot on October 24, 2001 and died on November 21. He was also accused of allegedly killing sect manager Ranjit Singh in July 2002. In August 2007, a magazine had exposed the organization of carrying illegal arms, alleged murders, and sexual exploitation by the followers.In the ongoing trial of Rahim's sexual abuse case, he has has told Panchkula court that he is not mentally and physically fit to have sexual intercourse. While he is cleaning the roads (or his image) with the ‘jhadoo' these days, there is no escaping the fact that he has already tarnished his image by the cases pending against him.
