Dera has Rs 75 cr in 473 accounts; Ram Rahim has Rs 7.72 cr to his name

Haryana govt has frozen 504 bank accounts belonging to the Dera Sacha Sauda and its bodies

With over 500 accounts and close to Rs 75 crore, the Dera Sacha Sauda can hardly complain about the Punjab and Haryana High Court's direction that the cost of damage to public property caused by its members after their leader's conviction in two rape cases would be recovered from its assets.

Multiple bank accounts belonging to the Dera Sacha Sauda hold Rs 74.96 crore, the Indian Express reported on Thursday while citing information compiled by the Haryana government. The report added that jailed Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has Rs 7.72 crore in 12 accounts in his name, while his adopted daughter Honeypreet, who is currently absconding, has over Rs 1 crore in six bank accounts.

Of close to Rs 75 crore amount, the maximum bank balance of a little under Rs 50 crore is held in 20 accounts, which are in the name of Ram Rahim’s film production unit Hakikat Entertainment, the national daily reported, adding that the Haryana government had compiled information on the 504 bank accounts belonging to the Dera and its bodies. All these accounts have been frozen.

As reported in August, the Gurgaon administration had collected details of direct and indirect properties and bank accounts belonging to Dera chief Ram Rahim Singh.

The move came after the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the attachment of all properties owned by the Dera chief to compensate for the loss of property and destruction caused by his supporters in Haryana and other states.

According to an IndiaToday report, the Haryana government, acting on the Punjab and Haryana High Court's orders, has frozen 90 Dera Sacha Sauda bank accounts in Sirsa. Further, the state government has sealed Honeypreet's OBC bank account, while another one with HDFC was yet to be sealed as of September 20.

Ram Rahim's business empire

He may claim to be a Godman, but in real life, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has hardly kept himself from material interests. Like many other self-styled Godmen in India, the Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s business interest straddles across sectors – from education and healthcare services to FMCG and movie production. And, with 60 million followers across the globe with whom he enjoys a larger-than-life status, Singh is the face of all entities and products. While Singh personally holds a stake in the FMCG business, to the rest he is linked through cross-holdings and related-party transactions. (Read our full report on Ram Rahim's business empire).....read more