Court postpones framing of charges against Honeypreet

New Delhi: The Panchkula district court has postponed the date of framing charges against rapist Gurmeet Ram Rahim's closest aide Honeypreet and others accused of pre-planning the violence which followed the sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda head in August 2017.

The court said, "Argument against bails given to the accused to be done on 19th January and arguments on framing of charges to take place on 21st February."

Honeypreet was charged under these sections of Indian Penal Code:

• 120B (criminal conspiracy)
• 121 (waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against government)
• 121-A (conspiracy to commit offences)
• 145 (joining or continuing in unlawful assembly)
• 150 (conniving with persons to join unlawful assembly)
• 153 (provocation with intent to cause riots)

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A 979-page charge sheet was filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in which it had accused Honeypreet and 15 others of masterminding and inciting the Panchkula violence. The violence took a toll on 41 people leaving dozens injured.

Honeypreet, whose real name is Priyanka Taneja, was arrested on October 3 after remaining fugitive for 38 days after the August 25 violence.

She has been lodged in the Central Jail, Ambala, 45 km from here, since October 23. The SIT took Honeypreet to various locations in Haryana to establish evidence of her involvement in the violence.