Dera Sacha Sauda chairperson Vipassana Insan appeared before a Haryana Police’s Special Investigating Team (SIT) for questioning in connection with 25 August violence in Panchkula, an official said on Friday.

She was summoned by the Panchkula Police for questioning from Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters at Sirsa.

The official said she was expected to turn up on Thursday but had failed to do so.

A team of doctors from civil hospital in Sirsa was sent headquarters for her check up on Thursday, after being cleared by doctors, Vipassana was summoned by the SIT for questioning on Friday.

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The SIT had asked Vipassana to appear in Panchkula in connection to an FIR in which the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s ‘adopted daughter’ Honeypreet Insan, Dera spokesperson Aditya Insan and other top functionaries are accused of sedition, conspiracy and other charges.

The police said they were investigating if Honeypreet’s mobile was with Vipassana. Honeypreet had claimed that she had handed it over to the Dera chairperson on August 27.

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They believe that Honeypreet’s mobile could have crucial details which could help the ongoing probe. They are also searching for Honeypreet’s laptop which she is said to have left in her room at the Dera headquarters.

Ram Rahim has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of over Rs 30 lakh. His conviction led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving 38 people dead and another 264 injured. Isolated incidents of violence were also reported from Delhi and several places in Punjab.

According to Haryana Police, Honeypreet had reportedly confessed to her role in inciting violence in Panchukla.

Honeypreet, whose real name is Priyanka Taneja, who remained fugitive for 38 days after she was booked by the Haryana Police on charge of sedition, was arrested on 3 October from the Zirakpur-Patiala highway, about 15 km from Chandigarh.

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The court had in September issued arrest warrants against top Dera functionaries — Honeypreet, Aditya Insan and Pawan Insan— after being charged of sedition, inciting violence and being involved in a conspiracy to help Ram Rahim escape following his conviction by a CBI court.

(With agency inputs)