Revision as of 22:32, 27 August 2017

A freeze-frame from the "Never Ever (Remix)" from the film MSG: The Messenger of God (2015)

A profile

As in 2015: on his cinema debut

Mr Insan, sorry, HE Mr Insan bills himself as a Rockstar. A super-DJ in an upmarket club would be more accurate. (Remember the late 1990s number, ‘God is a DJ’?) And what is a rockstar/ DJ without a couple of babes in his entourage?—In the North Indian context, babes from the erstwhile USSR. {From the film MSG: The Messenger of God (2015)}

India Today

Asit Jolly

January 15, 2015

Hame maarna apne-aap ko maarne ke barabar hai (To hurt me is akin to hurting yourself)," the grim assertion by India's newest portly cinematic 'superhero' rings out almost like a warning. A reminder, if you may, to those he sees as his 'tormentors', that it will not be easy to take him down with a 50-million-strong fan following that will surely expand once his first movie-MSG: The Messenger of God makes it past the Censor Board to hit 3,000 screens he has hired across India.

47-year-old Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh-yogi, social worker, formally presented by the Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS), the multi-religion sect he heads, as "a saint in the Sufi mould" but without exception revered by over 50 million devoted followers in India and abroad as "God himself".

The film MSG: The Messenger of God (2015) is quite slickly produced.

Most outside the flock would perhaps better recall him as the scandalous guru accused of unspeakable tyrannies-sexual harassment, rape, two counts of murder and, as recently as on December 23, a court-ordered CBI inquest into charges of forcibly castrating adherents.

But as the Dera's chief spokesman Aditya Insan, an ophthalmologist who trained at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and also accepts Singh as his God, insists, "There is always an alternative narrative which is often closer to the truth." While the jury is still out on the allegations against the Dera chief and as the spokesman points out that "even after 13 years, the CBI is still struggling to find from where the first letter (in 2002) containing allegations of sexual misconduct was posted", the other side to Singh's story is decidedly incredible. The only child of Maghar Singh and Nasib Kaur, a land-owning Jat Sikh couple from Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district, Singh inherited leadership of the Dera when the ageing incumbent chief Shah Satnam Singh passed him the gaddi in 1990.

Guruji ne maari entriyan/ toh hall mein baji taaliyan. His Excellency emerges from within a mound of snow. {From the film MSG: The Messenger of God (2015)

From a total 'subscriber' base of under 1 million adherents, the Dera's following swelled more than 50 times under Singh's leadership. Insan claims that "nearly 70 per cent of Guruji's followers are youth who have chosen to forsake intoxicants, non-vegetarian food and immorality", the three cardinal rules Singh insists all his followers must strictly observe.

It was the overwhelming population of young people amid his flock that led Singh to song, dance and eventually to cinema. "It is a sugar-coated pill of quinine to attract the youth," he admitted to a reporter in one of his first media interactions two months ago.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh

MSG, the dera chief's debut cinematic presentation, is an over-the-top rendition of the Bollywood formula blockbuster, about the truth triumphing over evil. It comes with an overdose of rock and rap music, dance and action sequences, and a surfeit of bad guybashing, in an intensely psychedelic theatrical rendition which he believes will wean young people away from narcotics and immoral behaviour.

Lead actor, co-director, lyricist, playback singer, set and costume designer for the movie, Singh plays himself as a larger-than-life protagonist pulling off impossible stunts that will perhaps instigate southern superstar Rajinikanth into rethinking his fabled onscreen antics. He is shown riding custom-crafted superbikes, all-terrain vehicles, even hopping on and off helicopters possibly inspired by a mix of James Bond and Akshay Kumar cinema.

Singh's tryst with song and dance began three years ago when he staged his first rub-a-ru or face-to-face rock session in October 2011. Until a month ago, he had performed at 102 concerts across multiple venues-from his headquarters outside Sirsa in Haryana to Delhi, Mumbai and several locations in his home state of Rajasthan.

Dera managers claim every concert pulled in more than 100,000 enthusiastic fans. "All my songs-rock, pop, rap, hip-hop and melody-are devoted to God and to inspire the youth," he says explaining that he only chooses modern forms because young people these days do not understand classical music.

And what's more, Insan proudly informs you that "Guruji writes his own lyrics and has arranged the musical score for every one of his 1,000 songs". But wait, there is actually a whole lot else to the unpublished "alternative narrative" around the Dera and its chief that Insan talks about.

Despite his unending spate of troubles with the law, the Dera under Singh has accumulated an impressive and long list of achievements that would leave most other social outfits gasping.

As part of 104 ongoing public welfare projects, voluntary donation campaigns run by the DSS have collected more than 300,000 litres of blood, bringing in three successive Guinness World Records. The Dera also won 13 Guinness awards for de-addiction, ophthalmological, diabetes and cardiac clinics, tree-plantation and cleanliness drives.

Health campaigns under the aegis of the Sirsa-based Shah Satnam Ji Speciality Hospital have also received recognition from the American Society of Echocardiography, the American College of Cardiology and a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation three years ago.

Also, from the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, the devastating floods in Uttarakhand in 2013 to the floods in Kashmir in 2014, the Shah Satnam Ji Green 'S' Welfare Force Wing, by now a 70,000-strong collective of trained volunteers, has delivered disaster relief in some of the most adverse circumstances.

Singh insists that the allegations against him, including the latest charge of subjecting 400 adherents to forced castrations, are false. He points to "conspiracies" by liquor and drug cartels and their political masters who, according to him, lose business due to the DSS's campaign against alcohol and narcotics.

As per its own claims, the Dera- since Singh assumed charge in 1990- has "rescued close to five crore people from the clutches of alcoholism and drug abuse". Insan cites the instance of a Tohana-based businessman, Purshottam Das Mittal, who voluntarily shut down 100 liquor vends he owned after being blessed by the Dera chief in the 1990s.

His Excellency beats up nine people single handed, and they are seen flying in the air, on the left and on the right/ {From the film MSG: The Messenger of God (2015)}

Starting out from the extensive barren wasteland where his predecessors set up the first ashram outside Sirsa town, the DSS has now spread to 46 centres across India in addition to smaller overseas communities in California, Victoria (Australia), the United Kingdom, Canada and Dubai.

Predictably, the rapidly expanding DSS community, with known pockets of influence in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, has over the years brought politicians of all hues flocking to Singh's doorstep, each of them seeking his blessings, but more importantly his benevolence before an election.

And though the Dera chief insists that he has never directed his followers to vote for a particular politician or political party, the DSS's political wing, the Saadh Sangat Rajnitik, invariably sends out a clear signal on the preferred political direction ahead of any state assembly or Lok Sabha election.

Likewise, just days before polling day in the Haryana assembly polls last October, the DSS's political wing declared support for the BJP. This after Kailash Vijayvargiya, the party's election in-charge for Haryana, met the Dera chief with 40 BJP candidates.

The decision to support the saffron party was significantly also preceded by PM Narendra Modi's public praise for the DSS's cleanliness drives during an election speech at Narnaund.

"But we have always sided with people committed to cleanliness and eradicating social evils," says Singh.

For the moment though, with the elections behind him, Singh is preoccupied with shooting for the sequel to his yet-to-be released debut movie. Like its prequel, MSG-2 will feature the Dera chief as the central protagonist and superhero fighting to emancipate tribals in remote districts of Rajasthan.

The man

THE MAN BEHIND INSAN

Ajay Sura The Times of India Jan 18 2015

He sings, wears bling and is spiritual king for lakhs. Meet the controversial star guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan

'WONDER' KID

The 48-year-old was born in Gurusar Modia, a small village in Rajasthan. Claiming to have supernatural abilities since childhood Ram Rahim, popularly known as Meeta, became the third head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda in September 1990. He has not renounced his family and has two daughters and a son. His son, Jasmeet Singh Insan, has been anointed as his successor.

DRIVING PASSIONS

When it comes to cars, the Dera head is up to speed. He is fond of bikes, swanky cars and customizes them to his taste. He has a fleet that includes a Lexus, Audi, Mercedes, Toyota and BMW. He always travels with decoy cars, which are bulletproof, jammer-fitted imported SUVs with the same colour and registration number for safety reasons.He has several modified bikes, which he uses while performing Ruhani Nights (his stage shows). The modified vehicles seen in his upcoming movie are said to have been designed by him.He also charters flights frequently and has a small airstrip on the Dera premises.

STAR-BUCKS

Though there are no official figures for his assets, it is estimated Ram Rahim has around 700 acres of agricultural land in Sirsa, hospitals, “nam charcha ghars“ (religious discourse places) and market complexes across almost all towns and cities of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and Rajasthan.Besides a world-class cricket stadium, petrol pumps, a multi-speciality hospital, the Dera Sacha Sauda also has a five-star SMG Resorts in Sirsa. As part of its expansion plans, the resort will offer 16 Wonder villas with private pools, 10 Water villas with rooms under water, an international spa, 7-D theatre and a convention centre. The Dera has an international footprint with over 250 ashrams.

GURU IS BIG ON GAANA

According to Dera sources, his six popular albums -“Thank U for That“, “Network Tere Love Ka“, “Chashma Yaar Ka“, “Insan“, “Lov Rabb Se“ and “Highway Love Charger“ -have collectively sold over 10 million copies. Songs from his new film MSG (The Messenger of God) -which he has written, composed and produced -span electronic dance music to rap (a track titled Daaru Ko Goli Maaro) and hip-hop.

CHEF & FEMINIST

He's a man of many talents.Thirty-four to be precise, according to his official website that lists “Excellent Chef, Cost Effective Technology Developer, Feminist, Global Warming Mitigator“ among Ram Rahim's special gifts.A “Sportsman par Excellence“, he reportedly plays over 32 games including volleyball, kabaddi, tennis, cricket, football and water polo, loves adventure (He once sang a song called `Chocolate' in a live concert, suspended 30 feet above the ground from a moving crane) and has “amazing photography skills“.

KITSCH KING

He has abandoned his white kurta-pyjama avatar and reinvented himself as `Guru of Bling'. He strikes quite a kitschy pose with his garish costumes, turbans and tiaras and arm bling. His website calls his look “morally uplifting fashion“ and he claims that he only wears outfits that he has designed. He had over 100 costumes made for the film.A Guru Gobind Singh outfit got him mired in a controversy in 2007. He has had Z-plus security since then.

ONE & ONLY

He is reported to have over 5 crore followers across India and abroad. They all use the surname Insan. Imitating their guru, they wear blue lockets shaped like the numerical 1, suggesting one identity and one God. In the last Haryana elections, he supported the BJP after Amit Shah visited the Dera last year. After forming government, various MLAs, ministers and party top brass are reported to have visited the Dera to seek his blessings.

Early life

Isha Gupta| Ram Rahim Family History: The story of a devil, a saint and Papa's angels| August 26, 2017 | IndiaToday.in

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Honeypreet Insan Insan

Gurmeet Ram Rahim is married to Harjeet Kaur, with whom he has three daughters and a son.

A 23-year-old boy Gurmeet Singh became Huzoor Maharaj Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh ji. Before becoming an ascetic he had a family that he officially renounced but like all other dualities in his life, he continued to be the head of the family. His story is as astonishing and colourful as his films.

He did not have humble beginnings. His father Maghar Singh was a landlord in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district. Mother Naseeb Kaur was a god-fearing housewife. Maghar Singh came in touch with Dera Sacha Sauda pretty early in life. The dera founded by Baba Balochistani Beparwah Mastana ji attracted followers from the backward and dalit sections of society, who couldn't get the equality that Sikhism promised. Jat and Khatri Sikhs never accorded them equality in practice.

Gurmeet Singh before he became Ram Rahim, with his wife Harjeet and their two children.

Maghar Singh was a Jat Sikh. The dera head Shah Satnam was a Khatri Sikh, who had succeeded Mastana. Maghar Singh was a follower of Satnam Shah and devoted a lot of time in spreading his spiritual leader's thoughts. Maghar Singh's son Gurmeet wasn't as spiritual but accompanied his father to the dera.

Gurmeet Singh's friend Gurjant Singh was jailed after he avenged his uncle's murder. In jail Gurjant was radicalised by separatist Khalistani militants. Once he came out of the jail, Gurjant became a Khalistani terrorist and rose quickly in the ranks. Gurmeet meanwhile was a full-time worker in the dera, doing odd jobs, driving a tractor or assisting his father in seva.

Sudden. controversial elevation as Dera head

Isha Gupta| Ram Rahim Family History: The story of a devil, a saint and Papa's angels| August 26, 2017 | IndiaToday.in

Then, in an unexpected announcement, dera head Shah Satnam announced that he would retire after handing over the leadership to a successor. There were three contenders. Gurmeet was not one of them. In a surprise public announcement, the dera head anointed Gurmeet Singh his successor and gave him the name Huzoor Maharaj Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

Amanpreet, HE Gurmeet, Honeypreet Insan

People in Sirsa say Gurjant Singh and a revolver were involved in the process. There is no evidence of any threat of violence, but people still attribute Gurmeet's rise to Gurjant's notoriety. Gurjant was later killed by security forces in Mohali.

The new dera head wasn't as simple-living-high-thinking leader as his predecessors. His love for shiny costumes took an obsessive tone later. He has a son and two daughters when he became celibate. The family that he publicly renounced continued to be with him in his dera quarters. He himself was surrounded by sadhikas (women devotee attendees). He later adopted a bubbly young girl Honeypreet Insan as his third daughter. The three call themselves Papa's Angels. All other devotees also call him Pitaji or Papa ji. Honeypreet Insan is the same woman who accompanied Baba Ram Rahim while he was being flown in a helicopter from the police lines complex in Panchkula.

Both Charanpreet and Amarpreet are married to men given really fancy names by Baba Ram Rahim. Charanpreet's sons are named Sweetluck Singh and Subah-e-Dil. The daughters have acted in his MSG series of films. The sons-in-law assist in managing the dera business. His son Jasmeet Insan ( a surname all his followers adopt) is married to a Punjab Congress MLA's daughter Husanmeet Kaur, now Insan.

Ram Rahim built a cave-themed palatial underground home in the dera where he would meditate and sexually exploit women. Based on the concept of harem in palaces, he would choose girls from among the devotees, make them surrender their bodies before him and these women would later remain in the dera and wait for being married off to male devotees who followed his orders like slaves or devotees do. These women were guarded by men allegedly neutered or castrated by the dera. This was not a secret. His private quarters were always guarded by his trusted gang of girls.

The rape, by the way, was called an act of pardon (maafi to be precise). Some women, as was later revealed, believed it was a blessing. But not all. The two women who testified against him had similar stories. The primary complainant, whose anonymous letter to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, became the basis of an FIR by CBI in 2002, told the CBI court that she was called by Pitaji (that's what they call him) into his gufa (cave) in the intervening night of August 28 and 29, 1999 for granting maafi (pardon). He threatened to kill her if she did not give in. The rape made her realise the reality of the dera. She complained to her brother, who revolted and escaped with her. He was later murdered.

The second complainant had grown up in the dera where her parents taught in a school. She was guarding the cave residence of the guru. He called her and she went in. The so-called Pitaji was in bed, apparently naked. She was shocked and tried running away. But it was too late. Nobody came to help her. She was raped. She managed to escape later. She lived to tell her story to the CBI court.

There are scores of other women who have remained silent out of fear or hopelessness. While the man loved his daughters and married them off to a life in luxury, his victims, who he called daughters, but treated like slaves have to live lives without dignity.

His music

Ajay Sura, `Love Charger Baba' brought bling to spirituality, August 25, 2017: The Times of India

“Your love makes spring of the world,“ sang controversial preacher Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan in his musical album `Highway Love Charger' released in May 2014.Less than a year later, he would release his first movie `MSG: The Messenger of God', solidifying his image of `Rock Star Baba'.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, who became the head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda in 1990, is among the most “multi-talented“ spiritual leaders in the country . SaintPhilanthropistVersatile SingerAllrounder SportspersonFilm DirectorActorArt DirectorMusic Director WriterLyricist... goes the list in the bio on his verified twitter handle.

His dera is just as diversified and spread out, controlling assets worth crores. The real strength of the dera, however, is its lakhs of followers, who are standing behind the 50-year-old preacher, despite criminal charges like rape and murder against him. He has been described by his followers as social reformer, religious teacher, engineer, agriculturist and author.

Born in Gurusar Modia, a small village of Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district, in a simple family , he apparently likes being addressed as “his holiness“ and his family “the royal family“. The transformation has not been gradual.

Claiming to have supernatural abilities from childhood, he was known as Meeta in his youth. When he first took over the dera, the preacher used to dress up in a simple white kurta-pajama. But he reinvented himself into what many call the `Guru of Bling' with garish costumes, elaborate headgears and jewellery galore. His wardrobe has been called a mix between costumes from B R Chopra's Mahabharat and that of an eccentric rock star.

The baba, who is fond of luxuries like custom-made cars and jets, all claimed to be designed by him, not only has ashrams running into hundreds of acres across the globe but is also believed to have earned hundreds of crores from the movies he has made in which he plays a hero with almost Superman-like qualities. He has produced five movies so far -`MSG' being the most popular.

Gurmeet is also among the very few `VVIPs' in the country who enjoy Z-Plus security .

His Excellency's clout

Z category security

Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh found guilty of rape | ECONOMICTIMES.COM| Aug 25, 2017

1) Despite charges of murder, conspiracy, and rape against him, the Dera chief enjoys Z-category security provided by Haryana Police and moves around in a fleet of bulletproof luxury sport utility vehicles.

2) He is the head of the India-based socio-spiritual organisation Dera Sacha Sauda since September 23, 1990. Apart from being a spiritual guru with millions of followers, he is also a singer, actor and entrepreneur.

3) He is among the 36 Indians to have a VVIP status and hence merits Z-level security, in addition to his own private guards.

4) He is married to Harjeet Kaur and has two daughters - Charanpreet Kaur and Amarpreet Kaur, and a son named Jasmeet Singh.

5) According to his website, he is said to play a wide range of sports that include volleyball, kabaddi, lawn tennis, cricket, football, billiards, table tennis, snooker, basketball, water polo and others.

6) He has received an honorary doctorate degree from the UK-based World Records University. "Ram Rahim has 53 world records in various categories, out of which 17 are Guinness records, 27 are Asia Book records, 7 India Book records and 2 are Limca records. Basically, Babaji's personality is an all-round one, which we considered. In the five years of India operations, the university has awarded around 100 Indians so far," the university had said in a statement.

7) He has written, produced, directed and acted in three movies. And in all of them, he can be seen wearing fancy colourful clothes, riding a motorcycle, performing heroic feats and thrashing bad folks.

2014: Haryana BJP ministers, 18 BJP MLAs, defeated BJP candidates, party in-charge meet Mr. Insan

Haryana BJP ministers, 18 MLAs meet Dera Sacha Sauda chief in Sirsa |India TV News Desk|13 Nov 2014

Sirsa (Haryana): BJP ministers and more than 18 party MLAs in Haryana led by state party in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya met the powerful chief of Dera Sacha Sauda sect Gurmeet Ram Rahim Insaan on a thanksgiving mission.

The Dera had publicly offered support to the BJP in the recently concluded assembly elections in Haryana.

Kailash Vijayvargiya arrived in Sirsa from Delhi by a chopper and went to Teravas (residence) of the Dera chief, alongwith party ministers and MLAs to pay obeisance.

Those who met the Dera chief included

Haryana Assembly speaker Kanwarpal Gurjar,

Minister of State Krishna Bedi,

Party MLAs O P Yadav, Nayab Saini, Ghanshyam Das, Balwant Singh, Manish Grover, Kulwant Bajigar, Subhash Barala, Kamal Gupta, Rohita Rewari, Dr Pawan Saini, Subhash Sudha, Bakhshish Singh Virk, Harvinder Kalyan, Shyam Singh Rana, Seema Trikha, and Krishan Lal Panwar.

Even BJP candidates who fought the elections and lost also called on the Dera chief.

They included Randhir Singh Palam, Shamsher Singh Kharkada, Ramchandra Jangda, Virendra Singh, Devkumar Sharma, Jagdish Nehra, Sunita Setia, Santosh Yadav, Pawan Beniwal, Simal Gabipur, Sunita Duggal and Pradip Kharkhauda.

The Dera chief gave his blessings to the BJP leaders and asked them to work for the socio-economic upliftment of humanity and remove social evils. He specifically called for action against female foeticide, drug abuse, and sex trade.

Haryana Assembly Speaker Kanwarpal Gurjar promised that the new government would work towards eradicating social evils..

Payback time: official favours bestowed after the arrest

Dy. Advocate Gen carries Mr Insan’s luggage after the ‘guilty’ verdict

Haryana's Deputy Advocate General Gurdass Singh Salwara has been sacked for carrying the luggage of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh…

Policemen on duty with MSG tried to rescue him

Manvir Saini| Z+ security cops tried to rescue Baba | Aug 27 2017 | The Times of India (Delhi)

Seven Haryana police personnel who were part of the Z+ security provided to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh were arrested for preventing Panchkula cops from taking him into custody after his conviction.

The arrested policemen, who were deployed in the Dera chief 's security for the last six to seven years, were sent in police remand for seven days.

The accused had tried to whisk away Gurmeet when he was being taken in a Scorpio to a helicopter by a special team of Haryana police on Friday .The accused, who were equipped with a jammer vehicle, also manhandled an IG-level officer who was overseeing arrangements for transporting Singh to Rohtak, sources said.

A case of attempt to murder under the IPC and another one under the Arms Act have been lodged against them at the Panchkula Sector 5 police station. The cases were registered on the complaint of ASI Ramesh Kumar, who was in charge of the team assigned to take Singh into custody .

The seven cops have been identified as head constables Ajay Kumar and Ram Singh and constables Balwan Singh, Krishan Das, Khusbir Singh, Vijay Singh and Fateh Singh.

ASI Ramesh Kumar said in his complaint that the accused travelling in the jammer vehicle overtook the Scorpio carrying Gurmeet to the district inspector's office and forced the police team to stop. “Before we could react, two persons in commando dress approached the SUV from either side and tried to take the Dera head away . As we struggled, one of them said, `Hum pitaji ko nahi le jaane denge. Gaadi back karke in par chada do, inko kuchal kar maar daalo (We shall not allow them to take father. Start the car and crush these cops).' The driver of the jammer vehicle tried to hit us while we were reversing. We got to one side but overpowered them with the help of other cops,“ the complaint read.

Honeypreet Insan allowed to board ‘jail helicopter’

Honeypreet Insan (left, in the cheque shirt and with a pink handbag) was allowed to accompany His Excellency Mr Insan in the helicopter, presumably official, that took him from the court to the jail

Daughter on copter: Haryana to probe |Aug 27 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Haryana govt will probe daughter Honeypreet's access to chopper |Aug 27 2017 | The Times of India (Delhi)

The Haryana government will investigate how Honeypreet Insan, the adopted daughter of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, was allowed to board the chopper that took him out of the Panchkula court complex after his conviction on Friday .

Photographs taken in the court complex show that Honeypreet Insan accompanied the Dera chief to court and also sat beside him in the chopper.This issue came up during the hearing in the Punjab and Haryana high court as well. Some members of the high court bar told the court that special treatment was being extended to the Dera head after his arrest. Bar members said not only was Honeypreet Insan allowed to accompany him, Gurmeet was also kept in a guest house before being shifted to jail.

“We had verified the facts from the authorities con cerned on Friday at 8.30pm about any preferential treatment to the Dera head. However, we were informed that he has been shifted to jail like an ordinary prisoner,“ observed the full bench headed by acting chief justice S S Saron.

Was His Excellency chewing on a cigar or a chocolate?

Ekta Handa | Truth behind rape convict Gurmeet Singh's chopper photo that went viral | August 27, 2017 | India Today

Ram Rahim was seen sitting in a VIP helicopter chewing on a cigar, or was it a chocolate?

As Baba Ram Rahim was convicted of rape on August 25, tensions broke out in Punjab, Haryana, parts of UP and Delhi. While the supporters of Ram Rahim were busy taking to the streets, the love charger baba himself was being flown to safety in a VIP helicopter.

The woman seen with Ram Rahim in the photograph is Honeypreet Insan, Ram Rahim's daughter. The authorities confirmed that she is Ram Rahim's daughter. The authorities now claim "she is no longer with him" and he is being treated like any other prisoner. Meanwhile, the authorities have not commented on why was Honeypreet Insan allowed to travel with her father after his conviction.

According to rules, no relative is allowed to travel with the prisoner, the relatives can meet the prisoners in the jail premises as per the rules of the jail.

The helicopter Baba Ram Rahim was traveling in, AW139 is meant for VIP and corporate transport. AW139 is a 15-seater Augusta Westland helicopter. A similar copter was also used by Narendra Modi during his 2014 election campaign. The authorities said the helicopter used for transporting Baba Ram Rahim was hired but did not specify from where.

Allegations, run-ins with the law and society:

See graphic:

Cases against Sirsa sect head, Mr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insaan

Cases against Sirsa sect head, Mr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insaan; The Times of India, August 26, 2017

I: Sexual exploitation of women followers

2002

According to a report on Dailymail.co.uk, in 2002, Singh and his Dera allegedly came under investigation in connection with the charges of sexual exploitation of women followers of the sect, and the murder of a journalist Ram Chander Chatrapati. The allegations started in May 2002 after an anonymous letter, alleging sexual exploitation, was addressed to the Prime Minister and its copies had been marked to several other bodies.

According to a report on Indiaopines.com, Singh has been in the news for several reasons and was accused of allegedly forcing around 400 men followers to castrate themselves in order to make them his slaves. He was also accused of allegedly murdering his driver Faqir Chand, where a CBI special court apparently cleared him of all charges.

According to a report on Indiaopines.com, he is said to be close to militant Gurjant Singh Rajasthani of the much feared Khalistan Liberation Force. Further to reports, it is said that he enjoys VVIP Status and a Z – level security cover. Singh reportedly drives a Range Rover SUV. In fact, hundreds of vehicles are allegedly said to follow him wherever he goes. In these 100, there are 16 black Ford Endeavours. His entourage is also said to include a number of female followers.

In January 2015, taking cognizance of an application seeking CBI probe into alleged suicides (wh Sirsa-resident Ram Kumar Bishnoi alleged were murders) inside Dera Sacha Sauda , Sirsa, the Punjab and Haryana high court issued a notice to the sect head and Haryana government. (The Times of India)

2002 sex case: Mr Insan claims he's not capable of having sex

Hindustan Times

Manjeet Sehgal | 2002 sexual abuse case: Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Insan claims he's not capable of having sex | February 13, 2014 | India Today

A sadhvi had in 2002 written an anonymous letter addressed to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, accusing Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Insan of sexual abuse.

Controversial godman and Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Insan, who is facing rape and murder charges, has told Panchkula court that he is not mentally and physically fit to have sexual intercourse.

"Dera chief told the court that he was not fit to indulge in physical relationships," S.K. Garg Narwana, counsel for Rahim, told mediapersons.

Rahim, who recorded his statement under section 313 of IPC through video conferencing, on Tuesday contended that the allegations levelled him were false and baseless.

A sadhvi had in 2002 written an anonymous letter addressed to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, accusing the Dera chief of sexual abuse. The Punjab and Haryana High Court took up the matter and ordered a CBI probe into the incident on September 24, 2002.

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.

According to CBI counsel HPS Verma, Singh has made more than 100 video conference appearances but not a single physical appearance in court, which is mandatory under Section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Singh had September 16, 2013 filed a plea in the court contending that he was facing threats from Sikh terrorist groups. The Panchkula police, in a separate plea, had said that the gathering of his followers could create a law and order problem and that he should be exempted from personal appearances.

Gist of the 2002 letter to PM

Letter on sexcapades that nailed Baba, Aug 26 2017: The Times of India

Bhagwan Krishan ke yahan 360 gopian thee jinse vo prem leela karte the. Phir bhi log unhe bhagwan mante hain, ye koi nai baat nahi (Lord Krishna had 360 gopis he loved. Yet people worship him as God, it's not a new thing).“ Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had reportedly told this to one of his disciples when she objected to his sexual advances, reports Ajay Sura. This incident was mentioned in an anonymous letter written by her in 2002 to then PM A B Vajpayee and Punjab and Haryana HC chief justice. The letter eventually led to a CBI probe into sexual exploitation and rape allegations against the preacher. As per the letter, when the `sadhvi' had objected , Gurmeet said, “There is no doubt that I am God.“ The disciple said thereafter she was raped by the dera head repeatedly over the next three years, and that a large number of sadhvis who were sexually exploited were between 35 and 40 years.

Highlights of the rape case

Rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh: All you need to know in 10 points | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Aug 25, 2017

A special CBI court on Friday found Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty of rape. He was immediately taken into judicial custody.

• The rape allegations against Gurmeet Ram Rahim date back to 2002, when a Dera sadhvi wrote an anonymous letter to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee saying she was raped by the Dera chief.

• In the letter, the sadhvi also accused Gurmeet Ram Rahim of raping several other female followers inside the sprawling Dera campus on the outskirts of Sirsa in the state of Haryana.

• The Punjab and Haryana high court took suo motu - of its own accord - cognizance of the sadhvi's letter and directed the CBI to register a sexual exploitation case against the Dera chief in 2002. The CBI then registered a case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim, based on the sadhvi's letter.

• The investigating agency questioned 18 sadhvis and two of them levelled allegations of rape against the spiritual leader. One sadhvi said that her rape was "justified" on the grounds that it would "purify" her.

• Both sadhvis who said they were raped recorded their statements before the court and reiterated that they were raped. Their statements are part of the CBI chargesheet which was filed on July 30, 2007 in the special CBI court.

• One of the sadhvis said in her statement that when she entered the Dera chief's sprawling chamber, the doors automatically closed and she found him watching a pornographic movie on a big screen. The CBI is said to be banking heavily on this statement as only a select few have access to that chamber.

• The trial against Gurmeet Ram Rahim commenced in 2008 and on September 6, 2008, he was charged under Section 376 (rape) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

• The Dera chief has consistently called the charges false and baseless and has told the court that he is "not capable of" engaging in physical relations.

• Gurmeet Ram Rahim is also facing trial in two separate murder cases - those of Dera follower Ranjit Singh in July 2002 and of journalist Ram Chander Chattrapati in October that same year.

• Ranjit's family members claimed he was killed for having circulated the sadhvi's anonymous letters. Chattrapati had reported extensively on illegal activities going on within the Dera.

Sleuths Dithered, Witnesses Cowered

Neeraj Chauhan, Once Really Feared, Now Caged, Aug 26 2017: The Times of India

`Sleuths Dithered, Witnesses Cowered'

The conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was not an easy task as the political clout enjoyed by the selfstyled godman made marshalling evidence against him a major challenge for the CBI.

It was a probe no one wanted to pursue and witnesses and victims were either killed, went missing or retracted their statements out of fear for their life, said retired police officer M Narayanan, who led the CBI probe into the rape and murder cases.

“For five years, between 2002 and 2007, despite a high court order, nobody did anything because of his political clout. The CBI investigation against him didn't move much. We then decided we have to collect evidence against him, record statements of victims in rape and murder cases, but it was very difficult,“ he told TOI.

Going by the timeframe, the state was ruled by an Indian National Lok Dal (INLD)led government and then Congress between 2002 and 2007 when the probe against the dera chief was stalled.

“Initially, around 10 sadhvis who had left the Dera and could give statements were listed by us. But only two of them showed the courage and recorded statements under Section 164 CrPC before a ma gistrate,“ Narayanan said.

A former deputy inspector general, Narayanan, who retired from the CBI in 2009 as a joint director, said the agency didn't act against the Baba initially , leading to an internal enquiry in 2007 against officers who scuttled the probe. The findings were not made public as the agency filed a chargesheet against Ram Rahim the same year. Narayanan, who joined the CBI as a sub-inspector and retired as joint director, asserted that Ram Rahim was almost “untouchable“. His massive following, which tilted elections, allowed him to attain a larger than life image in Haryana and Punjab.

A former CBI director, who did not want to be quoted, said, “All governments at that time tried everything to save this criminal, selfstyled godman. Because of his vote bank, our political system had become helpless and rule of law was mocked year after year.“

Narayanan said while the CBI was probing these cases, many powerful politicians and businesspersons walked into its headquarters and put pressure to close the case.

The statements in 2007 didn't come without drama and pressure. Narayanan said it was tough to convince the two sadhvis, who had left the dera long ago and were married, to record statements.

“We told them that not hing will happen to them and even wrote to the state police to provide them security . One of the rape victims, whose testimony helped in Ram Rahim's conviction on Friday, was under tremendous pressure from several dera followers. On one particular night, she was surrounded by several Dera followers and it wasn't easy for enforcement agencies to get to her.We sneaked into the place at night and got her removed from there. She stood her ground and gave a detailed testimony against Ram Rahim,“ Narayanan said.

One of the sadhvis later retracted her statement.

When the CBI decided to question Ram Rahim at his Sirsa compound in 2007, officers were initially not allowed inside. “It was like a fortress. Everybody was allowed to go inside after proper checks and guards roamed everywhere. But we managed to question the dera chief during which he denied all allegations,“ Narayanan said.

CBI officials linked to case threatened

CBI officials linked to case threatened, August 25 2017: The Times of India

A day before the verdict in the rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the CBI on Thursday claimed that the witnesses and its officials linked to the case were facing threats.A statement in this regard was made by CBI counsel Sumit Goel before the Punjab and Haryana HC on Thursday during the hearing of a petition on law and order situation ahead of the verdict. Goel said, “The witnesses in the case, the Investigating officer of the CBI and the public prosecutor in the trial of the case and in the high court face threats.“

II: Murder allegations

2002: Two murders are alleged

Murder cases against Gurmeet Ram Rahim in final leg | Feb 07, 2016| Hindustan Times

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court, Haryana, dismissed five applications of the accused and listed Ranjit Singh and Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder cases for final arguments. Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is also an accused.

Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is one of the accused in murder cases of Ranjit Singh, a dera follower, and journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

“These applications were intentionally filed at the fag end of the trial to delay the pronouncement of orders. Similarly, in the rape case against dera chief, they have approached a higher court and are seeking adjournments to delay the order. Thirteen years have passed since the crimes took place. Now, the cases are in the final leg,” said CBI counsel HPS Verma said.

There was an application from dera chief for postponing the Ranjit Singh murder case, saying high court had listed a connected petition for March 18, 2016 but it was dismissed.

Similar applications were also filed by Krishan Lal, former dera manager, who is an accused in both the cases, which were also dismissed. Also, he filed applications for getting examined three doctors as he wanted to prove that he was tortured in custody in 2005. These applications were dismissed.

Dera member Ranjit Singh’s murder took place on July 10, 2002.

The CBI has been alleging that Ram Rahim suspected him to be behind circulation of an anonymous letter of a female Dera follower, levelling allegations of sexual exploitation against him, which led to the murder.

Ranjit Singh was shot in the head in Kurukshetra. Along with Dera chief, Krishan Lal, Jasbir, Indersen, Avtaar, and Sabdil are accused in the case.

Journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati was shot at on October 23, 2002. Along with Dera chief, Krishan Lal, Nirmal Singh and Kuldeep are co-accused in the case. The CBI alleges that he was murdered for publishing news about ‘illegal’ activities inside Dera Sacha Sauda .

Dera chief is also facing a rape case in the Punjab and Haryana high court.

III: Sacrilege is alleged

Oct 2015: Sacrilege cases blamed on Dera Sacha Sauda

The Times of India, Oct 23 2015

What triggered the Oct 2015 unrest in Punjab?

Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, was stolen from a gurdwara at BurjJawaharKe village in Faridkot on June 1. In the third week of September, provocative posters against Sikhs appeared in Bargari village nearby . On October 12 morning, several torn pages of the book were found scattered in Bargari.That evening Sikhs started protesting at Kotkapura town, around 15 km from Bargari, demanding that those behind the desecrations be arrested. While Sikhs insist that the torn pages belong to the stolen book, the police is yet to confirm this.

On June 14, in a village near Kotkapura, called Behbal Kalan, police canecharged protesters blocking a link road. In the clash, police opened fire killing two protesters, both Sikhs, and injuring several others. From October 15, protests spread across the state with roadblocks being set up at numerous roads and highways. On October 20, there were more than 160 roadblocks in the state. Till Wednesday , the number had dropped to around 60. This is the first time in more than three decades that a sacrilege incident has led to state-wide protests.

How many cases of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib have been reported so far [till Oct 2015]?

After protests in Bargari village, six more incidents of desecration were reported from Sangrur, Ferozepur, Amritsar (rural), Taran, Ludhiana and Bathinda districts. So far, seven people have been arrested in five cases. Two cases are yet to be detected. Sikh or ganizations have blamed followers of the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda of being behind the desecrations and feel that dera followers were emboldened after their chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was pardoned by the Akal Takht, for his alleged blasphemy in 2007. Both the police and the dera have steadfastly denied any involvement in fomenting trouble.

Why did preacher Gurmeet Ram Ra him upset Sikhs?

In May 2007, the dera chief allegedly imitated tenth Sikh mas ter Guru Gobind Singh during an initiation ceremony at Salabatpura (Bathin da). Akal Takht ordered him to appear before it and apologize. An unsigned apology addressed to Guru Gobind Singh sent by Dera chief did not cut ice with clergy and a directive was issued to Sikhs to snap all ties with him and his followers. Punjab police also booked the preacher for f hurting religious sentiments. But in February 2012 just before Punjab assembly polls, the police filed closure report in court. The dera chief had openly directed his followers to vote for Congress in February 2007 assembly elections. Though SAD formed the government, Congress won a majority of the seats in south ern Punjab where there are maximum dera followers.

Why was he pardoned?

In an unexpected move on September 24, the Sikh clergy announced they had par donedGurmeet Ram Rahim on the basis of a clarification he sent. This was criticized by a wide section of Sikhs. Although Akali Dal leaders insist they had no part in the pardon, the popular perception is that it was directed by Akali Dal bosses to get deraollowers on their side ahead of the 2017 assembly elections. Akali Dal controls Shiromani GurdwaraParbandhak Committee (SGPC) which appoints the high persists.

Why was the pardon revoked?

After strong opposition from the Sikh community , including the influential Punjabi diaspora, the pardon was revoked on October 16. The revocation is unprecedented in Sikh history .

How does SGPC work and what is Akal Takht's role?

SGPC is a statutory body and its members are elected by Sikhs from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh. The body manages historic gurdwaras. Also called mini parliament of Sikhs, its role has expanded beyond simple gurdwara management. Akal Takht is the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs

A pre-planned havoc is wreaked after the verdict

The violence was planned in advance

`In phone calls before verdict, orders given to wreak havoc'| Aug 27 2017: The Times of India (Delhi)

Well before the arson and violence started in Panchkula on Friday [25 Aug 2017], Haryana police had intercepted various telephone calls and messages wherein instructions were being issued to Dera Sach Sauda followers to gather at Panchkula, where the verdict was announced by a CBI court, and “be prepared for violence“.

Panchkula commissioner of police (CP) A S Chawla said, “There are technical interceptions of phone calls from different districts wherein directions were being given to Dera followers to gather at Panchkula.“

Asked if the telephone interceptions had revealed directions to resort to violence, Chawla said, “There are many messages in which such directions have come.What has to be checked is whether it was the Dera's main leaders who issued the instructions, or followers.All this is serious business that needs to be looked into individually . But certainly there were indications from some of their top bosses and district heads for people to gather at one place.“ He added that police were trying to identify the culprits.

Chawla said telephone interceptions also revealed instructions to followers to not move towards the court premises on account of the strict vigil maintained there by security personnel. “Otherwise you (followers) would be caught,“ they are told.“Sangat aayegi, sangat badhti chali jaayegi. Fir [phir] chalenge,“ was one of the messages intercepted, as quoted by Chawla. He further said the interceptions would be handed over to the Punjab and Haryana high court as directed by the court.

2017, Aug: Security measures before the rape case verdict

Dera Sacha Sauda case: Highlights of Baba Ram Rahim case verdict |TNN |Aug 25, 2017

• Mobile internet services to remain active in Gurugram and Faridabad, reports ANI

• An estimated 1.5 lakh Dera followers including men, women and children have gathered in Panchkula, where CBI court is set to deliver its verdict in a rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. "If they (Dera followers) try to enter Chandigarh, stern action will be taken as per the law," officials said.

• The Army has been put on standby in the highly sensitive Panchkula and Sirsa districts to deal with any law and order situation that may arise in the wake of Friday's court verdict involving head of Dera Sacha Sauda , Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

• Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, assures him of adequate forces for security in the state, reports ANI.

• Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday said the state machinery was fully prepared for the court verdict against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

• Punjab government's offices situated in Chandigarh to remain closed on August 25, reports PTI.

Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab besieged, petrified ahead of verdict

Ajay Sura | Dera chief verdict today, Panchkula in lockdown| Aug 25 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Paramilitary, Army To Tackle 1.5L Followers

The Manohar Lal Khattar government spent tense moments on Thursday , a day before a special CBI court gives its verdict in a rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. More than 1.5 lakh of his followers gathered in Panchkula, taking over the campuses of several government buildings and plunging the city into chaos amid a looming fear of violen ce across Punjab and Haryana.

Twenty-five columns of the Army and nearly 18,000 paramilitary personnel reached Panchkula even as mobile internet services were suspended in the city from Thursday . Net services would be restricted in Chandigarh from Friday . Over 700 government buses and 25 trains were cancelled as a preemptive measure. Troops were sent to Sirsa, the Dera headquarters. As Panchkula was in lockdown in fear of violence on the eve of the verdict in a rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the Punjab and Haryana high court fumed over the total chaos in the city. Acting Chief Justice S S Saron said the court would not hesitate to dismiss the Haryana DGP . “We will not allow you to burn Haryana again,“ the HC observed, referring to the widespread violence during the Jat reservation stir in February 2016.

“We could not understand why such a large number of Dera followers were allowed to enter Panchkula despite prohibitory orders. Impression is that you are propagating them.Mr Advocate General, we will not hesitate to dismiss your DGP , if needed,“ Saron said.

Though Panchkula police commissioner A S Chawla blamed the Dera for the gathering in the city , saron said that there was “complete lack of will power“ among police personnel. “Either you do not want to prevent them or were instructed them not to do so.You allowed them step by step and in a systematic manner to enter in such large number,“ Saron said.

Later, a full bench directed authorities in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh “to ensure that peace and law and order is strictly maintained and those found violating law are dealt with sternly“.

Dera counsel S K Garg Narwana assured the HC that the followers in Panchkula would maintain peace and an appeal would be made to them to leave the city . Narwana read out a message from the Dera chief, stating that he would appear before the CBI court on Friday despite having back pain.

All schools in Panchkula would be closed on Friday . Traders downed shutters on Thursday and decided to shut business on Friday as well.

The `premis' -as Dera followers call themselves -have started camping near government buildings, in market complexes, parks and pavements in the city . With open spaces having no provision for toilets, the followers are defecating in the open, leaving the city stinking. They are drying their clothes on the cars parked in public spaces.

Incidents immediately after the verdict

Dera Sacha Sauda case: Highlights of Baba Ram Rahim case verdict |TNN |Aug 25, 2017

• Malout Railway Station and petrol pump set on fire by protesters in Punjab post Ram Rahim Verdict, similar incidents also reported in Bathinda (ANI)

• Curfew imposed in Punjab's Bathinda, Mansa and Firozpur: TV reports

• Tear gas and lathicharge in Panchkula's sector 5 as crowds turn violent; bullets fired in air to disperse crowds: ANI

• Dera Sacha Sauda supporters attack media vans in Panchkula.

• The Dera head was present in court when the judgment was read out. A rape conviction carries a minimum sentence of seven years and a maximum of 10 years.

• The Dera head was present at the time of pronouncement of the order before the special CBI court judge Jagdeep Singh. After pronouncing the order, the court directed to take the godman into custody.

• Gurmeet Ram Rahim taken into custody. Quantum of sentence to be pronounced on Monday. (August 28)

• Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim held guilty by by CBI court.

• Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered that security forces should not hesitate from using "mighty force" to maintain law and order in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

• Proceedings begin in CBI court, verdict expected by 3pm.

• Appeal people, especially Dera followers to remain calm: Haryana CM ML Khattar (ANI).

• A high drama prevaiiled when Dera followers clashed with police after they started assembly on Ambala -Kaithal road. The followers had tried to block the road.

• Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's cavalcade reaches Chandigarh.

• Following curfew like situation in Zirakpur and Panchkula the entire area is wearing a deserted look since morning.

• Police say only two cars from Ram Rahim Singh's convoy will be allowed to enter Panchkula.

• There is peace in the region and everything is in place. Have faith in us, proceedings will take place peacefully, says DGP Haryana. (ANI)

• Dera followers cry and try to block Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's convoy in Sirsa; many Dera followers fainted as the convoy passed, reports ANI.

• Dera chief leaves for court. Over 100 vehicles in the convoy.

• 74 trains cancelled for today in the view of law & order situation in Haryana ahead of the Dera verdict.

The situation on the day after the verdict

Gurmeet Ram Rahim rape verdict: Key updates| TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Aug 26, 2017

HIGHLIGHTS

1. The Army along with the police and paramilitary forces put up barricades at entry points of the Dera premises, where tens of thousands of Dera followers, including women and childen, stayed put despite an appeal by authorities to leave…

3. Dera chief 's 'Z-plus' security cover was withdrawn after his conviction in a rape case, Haryana Chief Secretary D S Dhesi said today. He also denied any special treatment being given to the Dera chief in a Rohtak jail after being held guilty in a 15- year-old rape case by a CBI court in Panchkula yesterday...

6. Total three people have died in Sirsa, taking the overall death toll to 31 since violence broke out after the verdict in the rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

7. District administration and police sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

8. Prison authorities denied reports of special treatment being accorded to Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in Rohtak's Sunaria Jail.

"Some channels and papers are reporting on special treatment to Ram Rahim. I clarify he is in Sunaria Jail, not in a guesthouse. Ram Rahim Singh is being treated as any normal prisoner. No attendant has been provided and there's no AC in the cell he is lodged in," said KP Singh, DG Prisons (Haryana).

9. Western Railways on Saturday cancelled 6 trains and partially cancelled 2 trains in the wake of law and order situation in Punjab and Haryana. Overall, 661 Haryana-Punjab-bound trains were affected in the last five days, with 309 express trains being cancelled and 58 trains diverted or short terminated.

[Dance and music events in places as far away as Jammu were cancelled because equipment was stuck on the highway in Ambala. Sporting events were cancelled in Chandigarh and elsewhere. Considerable economic damage in Punjab, Haryana, HP and Jammu & Kashmir.]

The Messenger of God series of films

The actor, director: as in 2015

The Times of India <>The Times of India

According to his official website, he is referred to as His Excellency, Hazoor Maharaj Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan. He was born in Rajasthan to Sardar Maghar Singh Ji and Naseeb Kaur Ji Insan. Though he was born in a Sikh family, he does not adhere to any particular religion. He is the head of the India-based socio-spiritual organisation Dera Sacha Sauda since September 23, 1990 and has 50 million supporters from the Dera Sacha Sauda sect (as reported on Business2community.com). He has adopted the glorious method of meditation from Param Pita Shah Satnam Ji Maharaj.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan has a long list of talents to his credit that range from from music to engineering, from sports to agriculture, from spiritualism to science. He is also said to play a wide range of sports that include volleyball, netball, throwball, kabaddi, lawn tennis, cricket, football, billiards, table tennis, snooker, shooting ball, yoga, basketball, water polo among others. (As reported on his official website)

This Rockstar Baba, who wanted to make his Filmistan debut in Jan 2015, has many other talents apart from acting? His official website states that he is a fashion designer, a magazine designer, automobile designer, interior and exterior decorator and landscape designer and a cook who has created a wide range of recipes.

As a head of the Dera sect, he enjoys immense popularity and is known for his many initiatives including his drive to eradicate forced prostitution from society and rescue them from high risk groups. Reportedly, he also treats them as his spiritual foster daughters and arranges for their treatment from HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. His official website states that on Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's call, 1500 young men volunteered to marry these women and many of these marriages have actually taken place.

He is an avid peace lover and volunteer and is said to encourage his followers to free birds and release snakes into the jungle that are found in his ashram. According to his official website, Guruji (as he is also lovingly called), is said to be an anti-discrimination leader, educationist, anti-population crusader, de-addiction specialist, low cost housing expert, among other key titles. He has also made it to the Guinness Book of world records and holds a total of 16 titles. These include, Guinness World Record for Largest Vegetable Mosaic, Guinness World Record in the Largest Finger Painting, Guinness World Record in Most People Sanitizing Their Hands, and Guinness World Record for Largest Human Droplet.

For his film MSG: The Messenger of God, he has written, composed and performed his own music, that is often described as religious rock. His song 'Love charger' from the album Highway Love Charger has had 1 million views online and is said to have sold almost thirty lakh copies in three days. As per a report on IMDB, Singh's debut film took only 67 days to complete shooting and the trailer has received over 2.2 million views till date.

MSG (Pt.1) censorship controversy

PTI <>The Times of India

The Messenger of God or MSG is a Hindi-Urdu feature film starring and co-directed by His Excellency Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan. It was due to hit Indian screens on January 16, 2015 amidst reports that its screening may evoke protests from some quarters. Its release was postponed amidst controversy and low level violence.

MSG: The Messenger of God has been co-directed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan and Jeetu Arora Insaan, wherein Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh plays the lead role. (Insan means 'human' and many members of the cult use it as surnames, to distance themsleves from caste- and religion-based surnames.

(The theatrical trailer of the film begins with His Excellency Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan saying: 'Some say [that I am a] sant [saint], some say [that I am an] angel. Some [call me] guru and others God. But we are [royal we] only an [long pause] Insan [human].')

Law and order concerns

There were three clashes between members of Sikh outfits and dera followers in Moga district in the week before the film’s scheduled release

In Baghapurana town of Moga district there was Tension after four flex boards and posters of movie 'Messenger of God (MSG)' were torn. Dera followers protested outside Baghapurana police station, demanding action against persons responsible for the mischief.

Five persons sustained injuries in Moga, when dera followers and members of Sikh organizations indulged in stone-pelting.

Dera followers exchanged fire at Thathi Bhai village where tension escalated after a poster of the movie was burnt. Devotees of the dera accused members of Sikh organizations of burning the movie poster.

As a result security was beefed up at the dera branches.

The Home Ministry had been watching the situation as there were inputs related to possible tense situations arising as certain Sikh organisations have been opposing the movie. The Home Ministry had sent an advisory to states that ‘Messenger of God’ a few days before the film was to be released.

“Various Sikh organisations and individuals are opposing the movie on the ground that its release would disturb the communal harmony and law and order. They also opine that glorification of DSS chief, facing serious criminal cases, should not be allowed,” the advisory said.

Certification by the censors

Five days before the film’s scheduled release, a review committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) unanimously decided to refer the decision related to the clearance of the film to the Film Certification Apellate Tribunal (FCAT). CBFC chairperson Leela Samson told PTI as much.

According to reports, the CBFC's revising committee refused a certificate to the film saying it promotes blind faith and superstition.

Amidst reports that the film had been cleared by Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), Censor Board chief Leela Samson submitted her resignation. She was reported to have said, ‘It is a mockery of Central Board of Film Certification.’

MSG part 1: its release, revews and box-office performance

MSG was fnally cleared by the censor board and was released on 13th February, 2015, on a staggering 3000 screens. The only competition it had that week was from Roy, a box office dud starring Ranbir Kapoor and Jacqueline Fernandez, which was rescued from oblivion only by its hit songs. World cup cricket was the bigger rival for audience eyeballs.

Just before the film’s release KoiMoi.com reported, ‘ MSG – The Messenger’s Advance Booking Report Is Surprisingly Fantastic.’

KoiMoi.com’s review was not half as kind. It gave MSG: The Messenger 0/5 Stars and read, ‘What’s Good: The unintentional humour that reeks through every scene is the only thing that’ll keep you pinned to your seats, if anything. These hilarious moments which will occur time and again during the more-than-3-hour-long tirade will make your jaws drop in astonishment. The movie needed a big help from its visual effects team, and they have done their best to bring it to a watchable level. What’s Bad: It wasn’t enough that the makers went ahead and decided to shoot the film with a script that can be described in a few lines. No, they had to garnish it with extremely lousy action sequences, some really bad acting and an awful lot of propaganda meant for nothing but the glorification of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. That’s not all; as if he wasn’t satisfied with that, he went ahead and took the costume department under his command as well, and came up with some disturbingly tacky costumes for himself.’

However, within six days of the film’s release reports in the mainstream press started pouring in, declaring ‘MSG’ a sleeper hit.

IB Times reported in Feb 2015, ‘According to Indian Express, the film raked in ₹89 crore in six days. Also, a press release has been doing the rounds, which claims that the film has crossed ₹100 crore mark in India.

‘The screen count of the film also managed to stun everyone. Akshay Kumar's "Baby" and Ranbir Kapoor's "Roy", which were among the anticipated films of 2015, were released in less than 2500 screens.

‘However, BollywoodLife.com reports that the numbers are fake and the film hasn't got good response... The scenario is so bad that Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh eventually bought bulk tickets of his own movie," BollywoodLife.com sources said.

‘Also, trade website Bollywood Hungama has revealed the first week figure of the film, which stands at just ₹9.92 crore.

‘"With an average occupancy of about 50 per cent, MSG has also not done well," Manoj Desai of G7 Cinemas in Mumbai said.’

The film did so badly at the box office that KoiMoi.com did not bother to include it in its long list of the average (and above) performers of the year.

That did not deter His Excellency and his supporters from declaring the film a success: indeed, successful enough to merit a sequel within seven months of the release of Part 1.

Even The Times of India, which had ridiculed the film’s false and wildly inflated box office figures in February, seemed to agree with His Excellency in September. It began its story about the premiere of ‘MSG- 2’ thus, ‘After the success of MSG-1, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim directed its sequel.’ (Emphasis added.)

Be that as it may, His Excellency is an absolute rockstar for his supporters, who created world records at the film’s open-air premiere, records that are unlikely to be bettered for decades.

MSG 2’s Sept ’15 premiere sets world record

Chetna Choudhry, The Times of India Sep 17, 2015 Over 1 lakh pour into Gurgaon for MSG-2

GURGAON: The premiere of Gurmeet Ram Rahim's sequel to 'MSG', in Gurgaon in Sept 2015 will stake a claim in the record books for the sheer size of the audience at the special screening at Leisure Valley Park.

Even the most conservative estimate of 1 lakh people, given by the police chief, bettered the Guinness record for the highest turnout at a movie screening by about four times. That record stands at 28,442 people, who watched 'Honor Flight' in 2012 in Wisconsin, US. As over 10,000 vehicles, including more than 300 buses, started arriving in the city since the morning, all major junctions reported heavy traffic.

Anticipating the turnout, Gurmeet Ram Rahim matched his sartorial theme with that of the movie — purple kurta and flared golden pajamas, with a ready song on his lips. But rain intervened to spoil his parade. The skies opened up around 9pm, disrupting the screening that had just reached 'interval' and, before long, it was pack-up time as no one wanted to take a chance with the elements or the crowd. If the record keepers choose to be fastidious and see this as a technically incomplete screening, a record might still be out of reach.

For the thousands of fans who had gathered to watch 'MSG-2 The Messenger', the disrupted screening brought back memories of the premiere of the previous 'MSG' movie at the same venue, which was called off at the eleventh hour due to lack of permissions.

This time, permissions had been taken care of The police had issued a traffic advisory a day in advance. Police had also asked the organizers to take people to the venue between 1pm and 4pm to avoid rush hour.

Twelve large LED screens were set up for the movie and two tents, one spread over eight acres a VIP enclosure over two acres, were packed with followers. The screening was scheduled for 6pm but began only at 8pm.

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