Dera seeks apex court protection against Akal Takht threat
MIL/Agencies, May 25, 2007.
New Delhi, May 25, 2007 - The Dera Sacha Sauda sect Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking its intervention against an ultimatum by the Akal Takht that the sect vacate its premises across the country by May 27 and the members stop their activities.
After the petition filed by Dera vice-chairman and trustee Abhijeet Bhagat was mentioned before a bench of Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice D.K. Jain, the bench slated the hearing for June 4, as per IANS.
The bench also decided to take up for hearing June 4 another public interest litigation seeking protection to the lives and properties of both Sikhs and followers of the Sacha Dera Sauda sect.
The Akal Takht, the supreme religious body of Sikhs, has on May 20 served an ultimatum on the Punjab government to get all Dera units in the state closed down by May 27.
The stand off between the Dera followers and the Sikhs was triggered after sect chief Gurmit Ram Rahim offended Sikh religious sentiment by attiring himself like the tenth Sikh Guru Govind Singh.
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