Ramanand Dass

Sant Rama Nand Dass ji
File:Santramanand.jpg
Personal
Born	February 2, 1952
Died	Sri Guru Ravidass Sabha, Rudolfsheim, Vienna, Austria
Religion	Ravidassia Religion
Other names	Hindi: शहीद संत रामानंद दास जी Father: Shri Mehnga Ram Ji Mother: Shrimati Jeet Kaur Ji
Senior posting
Period in office	1952-Forever
Post	Sant
Website	Guru Ravidass Ji Website

Sant Ramanand Dass was a leader of the Dera Sach Khand, a follower of Guru Ravidass. His name came to international attention when he was murdered at the age of 57 in a 24 May 2009 attack in the Guru Ravidass Temple in Rudolfsheim Vienna. The attack triggered rioting across much of Northern India. He was cremated with full state honors on 4 June 2009, in Ballan, India.

Death

Attack

On Sunday, May 24, 2009, several people were attacked in Guru Ravidass temple in Rudolfsheim Vienna. Press reports indicate variously that there were 6 turbaned Sikh fundamentalists attackers, carrying knives and guns. Two of the victims were identified as visiting Dera Sach Khand head Nirajnan Das, 68, and another leader, Rama Nand, 57. Rama Nand suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died in hospital early 25 May 2009. At least 15 others were injured, including 4 of the attackers, who were in the end subdued by the other worshipers.

Claims and denials of responsibility

An email reportedly received by Radio Akash in London, purportedly from the Khalistan Zindabad Force, claimed responsibility for the attack. The Austriantimes.at reported that a later email purported to be from the Khalistan Zindabad Force denied all involvement in this attack. The later email appeared to have a scanned copy of KZF’s letterhead and contained a date change in longhand. This cast doubt on its authenticity. Austriantimes.at also reported that the visiting leaders had been warned for some time of possible violence against them.

A 28 May 2009 Diepresse.com article reported that the identities of the 6 alleged jat Sikh attackers had been established, their motives follow a long line of caste discrimination and oppressive practices towards non-jats who fight for equality and the end to the atrocities they endure. Five of the six had been questioned thoroughly, but the 6th, the alleged leader, was still too ill to interview, having been shot in the head. Of the 6, all males between 24 and 45 and from Punjab and other regions in northern India, 2 had entered the country illegally, and 4 had applied for asylum. Nirajnan Das it reported was "on the road to recovery". Both the 6th alleged attacker and Nirajnan Das were reportedly under heavy guard at the hosptital.

An email received by The Tribune newspaper, purported to be from Ranjit Singh Jammu of the KZF, expressed sympathy for the "Ravidassia brotherhood" and denied any involvement.

Akash Radio reported on its web site that it had received, on 29 May 2009, a 3rd email purported to be from the KZF. In this 3rd email, Akash reports, the KZF stated that "Indian agencies" used its letterhead to deny responsibility, and went on to emphasize that it took responsibility for the attack that resulted in the death of Rama Nand, and that KZF had sent the letter to an Indian newspaper which did not print the claim of responsibility, but which was quick to print the retraction.

Judgement One of the six suspects, detained in connection with the attack on two visiting Indian Sikh preachers in Vienna last month, has been released due to lack of evidence.

Four of the six offenders were NRI asylum seekers living in Austria and have been identified Satwinder Singh, 28, Jaspal Singh, 34, Tasum Singh, 45 and Sukhwinder Singh, 28. The other two attackers - Hardeep Singh, 33 and Charnjit Singh, 24, entered Austria illegally, authorities said.

Amritpal Singh, a 26-year-old Sikh man of Indian origin, was arrested after a firefight with commandos of Australian police who raided his apartment while investigating the May 24 shootout at the Guru Ravidass Gurdwara here in which a sect leader was killed and 15 injured.

The men have been accused of attacking a gathering at the gurdwara with knives and at least one gun.

Six radical Sikh men received heavy prison sentences Tuesday in Vienna for their involvement in the killing of a senior Indian sect leader last year in Austria’s capital, media reported. The May 2009 attack at the temple of the Dera Sach Khand sect had triggered widespread violence in India’s northern states of Punjab and Haryana, leaving three dead and dozens hurt. After nearly 11 hours of deliberations, the jury found main defendant Jaspal Singh guilty of shooting to death deputy sect leader Sant Rama Nand. The Indian-born man received a life sentence, Austrian press agency APA reported. He was also convicted of attempted murder in the attack, in which sect leader Niranjan Dass and a local preacher suffered gunshot wounds and more than 12 others were injured. Nand and Dass were visiting the temple on a tour of Europe. Four were convicted of aiding the murderer and were sentenced to between 17 and 18 years behind bars, while one was found guilty of attempted coercion and received a 6-month sentence. The prosecutor had alleged that some of the men had travelled to Vienna from Barcelona in Spain with the aim of carrying out their crime.