CBI court junks Dera Chief’s plea seeking copy of statements of 2 ‘rape victims’

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The CBI inquiry into the sexual abuse was initiated after one of his female followers wrote to the then Prime Minister and leveled allegations of sexual abuse against the Dera chief.

The Dera chief had submitted an application through his counsel that the copy of the statements of the two alleged rape victims be presented to them as it was their statutory right. However, it was opposed by CBI whose counsel, H P S Verma, argued that since it has already been dismissed the higher court, the application should not be allowed.

The application was earlier dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, after which the defence counsel approached the Supreme Court which allowed the application seeking summons to the then CBI Investigating officer. “We had argued that the two girls had not alleged rape in those statements and we wanted the copy to defend the case. We had submitted the application after the cross-examination of the former CBI Investigating officer, K L Raina who had recorded the statements of the two girls,” said defence counsel Vishal Garg Narwana.

On Tuesday, the Special CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh dismissed the application and scheduled the next hearing for October 26.