Punjab Police has registered a case against Sikh preach��er Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale in a 2012 case of alleged🔯 rape and murder of a woman in Patiala, the Punjab and Haryana High Court was informed.
Sikh preacher Dhandrianwal🦋e, who heads Parmeshwar Dwar gurdwara, a dera in Shekhupura village in Patiala, has a large following in Punjab and among the Punjabi diaspora abroad.
Punjab Police has registered a case against Sikh preach��er Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale in a 2012 case of alleged🔯 rape and murder of a woman in Patiala, the Punjab and Haryana High Court was informed.
The FIR under sect🅰ion 302 (murder), 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at Passiana Police station in Patiala o𝐆n December 7, according to an affidavit filed by Punjab Police Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav before the high court on Tuesday.
The FIR🔴 was lodged on a complaint filed by the victim's brother, a Patiala resid🌜ent.
Sikh🔴 preacher Dhandrianwale, who heads Parmeshwar Dwar gurdwara, a dera in Shekhupura village in Patiala, has a large following in Punjab and among the Punjabi diaspora abroad.
Dhadrianwale, in a✅ video message, said he would cooperate with the police investi𓃲gation.
"They (the family) have moved the high court. They have a doubt and they should clear their doubt. The high court has said investigate the case after registering the FIR. It may take some time but t🌸he truth will come out. I have full faith in the high💙 court and the Punjab Police," the Sikh preacher said.
T🔯he DGP's affidavit came after the victim's brother a💮lleged that his sister was raped and murdered. He further alleged that no action was taken by police at the time of the incident.
The petition of the woman's brother wa♏s taken up in November and during the previous hearing, the bench presided over by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu had asked the DGP to explain as to what action has been taken against officials who handled the case in 2012.
The woman was found in an unconscious condition outside the gate of gurdwara Parmeshwar Dwar on April 22, 2012. She later died at a hospital before she could make any statement, according to the affidavit ofꦉ the DGP.
The mother of the victim then had not raised suspicion against any person for the death of the wo♏man.
A postmortem repo♉rt revealed that the death was caused due to poisoning by aluminum phosphate insecticide.
The victim's family lat꧑er testified before the executive magistrate that they do not suspect any foul play in the death of the woman. She hܫad died on account of consumption of some poisonous substance, the affidavit stated.
The police then forwarded the inquest report in June 🍷2013, which was approved by the sub-divisional magistrate, Patiala in February 2014.
According to the affidavit, the sister of the deceased filed four compla𒐪ints from June 19, 2012 to November 9, 2012 for takin🍌g action against Dhadrianwale.
An inquiry into the matter was condꦏucted by the then Station House Officer, Passiana Police station and recommendation was made for filling the said complaints.
The DGP affidavit said show-cause notices have been issued to then deputy superintendent of police Sewa Singh Malhi (who is now retired) and then SHO Ashok Kumar (now SP) on ☂December 7.
According to the office procedure, the records for the years January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2014🌳 have been destroyed in October 2020, according to the DGP affidav🍌it.
It further said on December 21, 2023, the woman's brother ꩲhad alleged that he was threatened by some persons not to raise his voice aꦕgainst Dhadrianwale.
Subsequently, another complaint was filed by the woman's brother which was forwarded to the Patiala Senior 𒁃Superintendent of Police on🧸 October 16, 2024
The affidavit said that a case has been registered against Dhadrianwale on the complaint ⭕of the petitioneꦦr and the case is under investigation.