Honeypreet Insan, Ram Rahim's daughter arrested

Honeypreet Insan, the "adopted daughter" of self-declared guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, was arrested today after being hunted for over a month by the police. The 36-year-old was arrested on the highway near Chandigarh along with another woman.

Ram Rahim's closest aide, who calls herself "Papa's Angel", had been missing since she was seen escorting him in a special chopper to a jail in Rohtak on August 25, when the Dera Sacha Sauda chief was declared guilty of raping two followers. Rioting by Dera supporters in cities in Haryana that day led to 38 deaths.

Honeypreet Insan was charged with inciting the violence, sedition and also trying to help Ram Rahim escape. She was bumped up to the top of Haryana's most wanted list and airports and border police were warned about her.

The high profile fugitive surfaced this morning on TV channels, denying the charges against her and also defending her relationship with her flamboyant mentor, who is serving 20 years in prison for the two rapes.

Hours later, the police confirmed that she had been arrested by a Special Investigation Team and questioned in Panchkula. She will be produced before a court tomorrow.

Earlier today, she told the News 24 channel that she was "devastated and depressed" by the allegations against "Papa" and her. "When Papa went away (was jailed), my world came crashing down," she said.

She also said she panicked at the charges against her. "Try to understand what my condition was. The woman who used to make patriotic films with her father (Ram Rahim), the woman in whom her father had infused the spirit of patriotism over the years...he goes to jail, which was unthinkable for me. I was completely shaken to hear of sedition charges when I haven't even killed an ant."

She also rubbished the rape charge against Ram Rahim. "We call him 'papa coach'. Crores of women and girls have been empowered by Papaji. You believe two women and not millions of others?"

Reacting to her ex-husband Vishwas Gupta's allegations that her father-daughter relationship with Ram Rahim is fake, she said: "I cannot understand how anyone can point fingers at pious relations that are there between a father and his daughter. What proof do they have? Please don't believe such people." 

Honeypreet, whose real name is Priyanka Taneja, was an important part of the flashy and outrageous lifestyle that Ram Rahim enjoyed until he was jailed in August. She also co-starred with him in five films that he produced.

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