Dera chief's aide arrested by Haryana Police

Chandigarh: After being on the run for nearly three months, Pawan Insan, a close aide of rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, has been arrested by the special investigation team (SIT) of the Haryana Police, police sources said on Monday.

Pawan was arrested from Lalru town in Punjab, around 30 km from Chandigarh, the police sources said.

He had been on the run since the August 25 violence in Panchkula town, adjoining Chandigarh, in which 41 people were killed and over 260 others injured.

Thousands of followers of the sect chief indulged in large scale violence in Panchkula following his conviction for the rape of two female disciples (sadhvis).

Close aides of the sect chief like Honeypreet, Aditya Insan and Pawan Insan were booked by the police for sedition and instigating the mobs.

While Honeypreet was arrested in early October, after remaining fugitive for 38 days, Pawan Insan remained elusive for 85 days.

Aditya Insan, a doctor, continues to be on the run.

Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sandhu had said earlier that an international alert has been sounded on three sect functionaries - Honeypreet, Pawan Insan and Aditya Insan.

The police also moved to attach the private properties of all three.

The Haryana Police had released a list of 43 persons, including these three, who were involved in the violence that took place in Panchkula.