Ambala, India - A special court here Saturday framed charges of murder against five members of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect for the killing of a former senior member of the same sect July 2002.
The special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court framed charges against Krishan Lal, Avtar Singh, Inder Saini, Jasbir Singh and Sabdil.
The CBI is investigating the murder of Ranjit Singh, a former member of the sect's top management.
Ranjit Singh was allegedly killed by Dera followers, as he was suspected to be behind anonymous letters alleging sexual exploitation of women devotees by some in the sect's management.
Allegations were also levelled against the sect head, Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, following the reported sexual exploitation and the murder.
The CBI is also probing the allegations of sexual exploitation of women inside the Dera headquarters at Sirsa in neighbouring Haryana and the murder of Sirsa journalist Ram Chandra Chhatrapati, who had reported the 'wrongdoings' inside the sect headquarters, in October 2001.
The CBI will submit a final report of its investigations against the sect in this matter before the Punjab and Haryana High Court by July-end.
The sect was in the centre of a major controversy last month as Sikh religious leaders protested its head's portrayal in the manner of 10th Sikh guru Gobind Singh.
This led to violence in Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country, forcing the sect head to issue an apology.