The Haryana Police on Thursday said they have arrested a close aide of jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Sirsa, PTI reported. An unidentified police officer told the news agency that Rakesh’s arrest could help them trace Ram Rahim Singh’s adopted daughter Honeypreet Insan, who is absconding, and key Dera functionary Aditya Insan.

The police said another person was also arrested in connection with the violence following the conviction of the Dera chief for rape on August 25. “Rohtash has been arrested from Panchkula,” Haryana DCP Manbir Singh said. He said Rohtash had been involved in inciting violence and arson.

The police also said they were investigating the authenticity of threat letters sent to media houses, after a delegation of journalists met Haryana Additional Director General of Police Mohammad Akil on Thursday. “In our meeting with ADGP Akil, we told them that some media houses had received a handwritten letter, allegedly from the so-called Qurbani gang, threatening to eliminate journalists and harming their families for showing content against the Dera chief after he was convicted,” Chandigarh Press Club President Jaswant Rana said.