Honeypreet to remain in jail, Panchkula Sessions Court rejects bail plea

PANCHKULA: Honeypreet, a close aide of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, will have to remain in jail as Panchkula Sessions Court on Thursday rejected her bail plea. She had been arrested for allegedly inciting violence in Panchkula following the arrest of Gurmeet Ram Rahim on August 25 last year.

On August 25, 2017, Ram Rahim was convicted of raping two of his female followers. Following his conviction, large-scale violence had spread in Haryana's Panchkula and Sirsa, leaving 38 people dead and 264 injured. Incidents of violence were also reported from Delhi and several places in Punjab. 

Ram Rahim, has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of over Rs 30 lakh was also imposed. 

Honeypreet, whose real name is Priyanka Taneja, was arrested by the Haryana Police on October 3, 2017 after remaining fugitive for 38 days after the violence. Honeypreet had allegedly paid Rs 1.25 crore to a Dera Sacha Sauda member to arrange logistics for inciting violence in the Panchkula on August 25 if the Dera chief was convicted in the rape case.

The special investigation team (SIT) of the Haryana Police had filed a 979-page chargesheet before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Panchkula. She has been lodged in the Ambala Central Jail since October 23. The SIT took Honeypreet to various locations in Haryana to establish evidence of her involvement in the violence.

Honeypreet's ex-husband Vishwas Gupta had alleged illicit relations between her and the sect chief. The woman -- who has been claiming to be Ram Rahim's "adopted daughter" -- starred as the lead heroine in five films he directed, produced and acted in over a period of three years.