Prime witness in castration case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim seeks asylum in US
PTC News Desk: A prime witness in castration case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim has sought asylum in the US citing threats to him and his family. He has requested that his cross-examination in the case be conducted via videoconferencing due to safety concerns, but Ram Rahim has opposed this plea.
The victim filed a petition in 2015 which led to case registration against Ram Rahim by the CBI followed by a chargesheet in 2018. He accused him of orchestrating the castration of his followers in collusion of doctors.
Appearing before a Panchkula trial court through his counsel, Navkiran Singh, the victim stated that he moved to the US with his wife and three children in June 2024 due to direct and indirect threats to his life. In the plea, he expressed his reluctance to return to India but agreed to undergo cross-examination via videoconferencing.
The witness emphasised that his application for asylum in the United States was based on death threats received from Dera Chief's followers. He further asserted that despite writing letters to the CBI citing threat to him and his family seeking protection for his family and detailing the threats, the agency did not file a formal application in court to allow his testimony via videoconferencing.
Besides Ram Rahim, two doctors are also named accused in the case. Meanwhile the CBI has sought time to respond to the victim's application seeking security for the family.
- With inputs from agencies
