A case was registered by the police against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, hours before a crucial meeting of Sikh high-priests to decide on the future course of action in the stand off between Dera followers and Sikhs.

The action came a day after the Dera Sacha Sauda expressed regret over "the chain of events" leading to violence in Punjab and said its head never intended to imitate Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru.

The Sirsa-based Dera head has been charged by the Punjab police under Section 295-A of IPC relating to deliberate malicious act intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or its religious belief, an official spokesman said.

The publication of an advertisement in some newspapers in which the Dera head was attired in clothes similar to that of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh had sparked violence in Punjab in which one person was killed and around 50 were injured.

The five head priests of five takhts of the Sikhs are meeting in Amritsar to decide the future course of action.

The priests had given a three-day deadline on May 17, which ends on Sunday in their five point hukamnama (edict), including a social boycott of Dera Sacha Sauda and registration of a case.