Dera Sacha Sauda (Dera) Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim is alleged to have played a role in the castration of up to 400 of his followers.
According to The Times of India, a “former follower” named Hansraj Chauhan made the claim that he “along with around 400 ‘saints’ of Dera were castrated inside the ashram.” He alleges that he was promised that “those who…get castrated will be able to meet God through the Dera chief.”
The state government says it has recorded statements from seven other persons associated with Gurmeet Ram Rahim who say they too were castrated.
The Dera chief is also facing trial for “connection with a murder case of a journalist and sexual exploitation of his female disciples.”
IBNLive reports that Gurmeet Ram Rahim also offended the Sikh community in 2007 by “[dressing] like the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh [while] giving holy water to followers in an advertisement.”
Amid the tension surrounding the castration allegations, the possible connection with a murder case, possible sexual exploitation, and the strained relations with the Sikh community, Gurmeet Ram Rahim is starring in a movie–“Messenger of God”–which is set to be released next month.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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