Akshay Kumar appears before Punjab SIT, denies meeting Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh

The team is probing the 2015 police firing incidents at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura in the State following cases of sacrilege in Faridkot

November 21, 2018 11:36 am | Updated December 03, 2021 10:15 am IST - Chandigarh

Actor Akshay Kumar after appearing before the Special Investigation Team, in connection to his alleged mediation between Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim and Sukhbir Singh Badal, in Mohali on Wednesday, November 21 2018.

Actor Akshay Kumar after appearing before the Special Investigation Team, in connection to his alleged mediation between Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim and Sukhbir Singh Badal, in Mohali on Wednesday, November 21 2018.

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar who appeared before a special investigation team on Wednesday, dismissed allegations that he arranged a meeting between former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and controversial godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

The five-member SIT formed by the Punjab government is probing police firing at Faridkot’s Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura on people protesting over the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib. Two people had died in the police firing in 2015.

The self-styled godman’s supporters were alleged to be involved in cases of desecration, after pages of the religious text were found torn and scattered.

Mr. Akshay Kumar’s counsel later told reporters that the actor denied having ever met the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, who is currently serving a 20-year jail term in two rape cases.

The SIT questioned the actor as his name figured in the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on the sacrilege incidents, which was tabled in the Punjab Assembly in August.

It was alleged that the actor brought together Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and the then deputy chief minister to ensure the release in Punjab of MSG-2 , a controversial movie made by the sect chief.

The actor was quizzed for about two hours at the Punjab police headquarters in Sector-9 here.

He told the SIT that he never met Dera Sacha Sauda chief in his entire life. So the question about any meeting does not arise, the actor’s counsel Sant Pal Singh Sidhu told reporters.

Mr. Sidhu said the claim by former MLA Harbans Jalal before the Ranjit Singh Commission about the meeting are concocted.

Even the Commission report has not placed any reliance on these claims saying these are based on ‘hearsay’, the counsel said.

Akshay Kumar has not been asked to appear again before the SIT, Mr. Sidhu said. The counsel said the actor told the SIT members that he respected all the religions, particularly the Sikh religion.

After arriving at Chandigarh airport, the actor headed straight to the Punjab police headquarters, reaching there at about 9.30 am. He refused to talk to the media waiting at the airport on his arrival and before his departure.

Heavy security was in place outside the Punjab police headquarters, officials said.

The police had earlier asked the actor to appear before the probe team in Amritsar, but later gave him to the option to come to Chandigarh.

The SIT has already questioned former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

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