Mysuru: A former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer, who nailed Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has said that two senior officials handed him the case a decade back with specific orders “to close it.”

Now sixty-seven-year-old M. Narayanan, who retired in 2009 as Joint Director of the CBI, had come to Mysuru recently to visit a family member. “It was in 2007 that this case was handed over to me by two senior officials and I was asked to close it,” Narayanan said.

The former CBI officer said, for him it was just like any other case. Narayanan was posted as Deputy Inspector General of Police (Special Crimes) in Delhi when the Punjab and Haryana High Court handed the case to the CBI in September 2002. Narayanan put in 38 years of service and was the first officer in the CBI who rose from the post of Sub-Inspector to Joint Director.

“We went to his (Dera Chief) place in Sirsa. Ram Rahim gave me 30 minutes time. We reached there and grilled him for over three hours,” said Narayanan, who is settled at Kasaragod in Kerala.  

With seniors directing him to close the case and the woman, who alleged sexual abuse, getting married, it was a “game of wits” for the CBI team that probed the rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim. “The girl, who had been sexually abused in 1999 had since left Dera and got married. It was a daunting task to convince her as well as her family members. Thankfully, I played the role of a father for her and ensured that she not only gives her statement but also testifies before a Magistrate,” he said.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim appeared scared during questioning, Narayanan remembered. “He did not give any direct reply. He pretended to be a Baba but my instincts told me that  he was a scared person during the questioning.”

According to Narayanan, Baba has spoiled the life of many girls, but many victims have now settled in life and would not recall the torment. Baba used to live in a cave, enjoying all modern facilities. He used to sexually assault the girls staying in the Dera hostel. There was a direct entry to the ladies hostel from the cave and Baba used to call the girls at 10 pm every day. All the guards and supervisors of the cave were women, the retired officer explained.

“We prepared and submitted 28 pages of charge-sheet and 1,000 pages of supporting documents against Baba in three cases,” Narayanan said.

On the 20-year jail term verdict, he said that justice has been done. “I am neither excited nor overly happy, as for me it was a routine work,” he added.