More than 30 congregation centres of Dera Sacha Sauda​ sealed; HC slams Haryana govt over violence

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been convicted in a 2002 rape case.

Pic courtesy: PTI

Panchkula/Sirsa: A day after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted in a rape case, more than thirty congregation centres of Dera Sacha Sauda across Haryana were sealed on Friday.

At the same time, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today castigated the Manohar Lal Khattar government over the deadly violence that erupted in the state, saying it had 'surrendered' before the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda head for 'political considerations'.

A full bench of the court, at a special hearing, a minced no words in slamming the CM for 'protecting' the Dera followers and extending political patronage to them.

"This was a political surrender to allure vote bank," it observed, a day after Dera followers went on a rampage across Haryana following the conviction of the self-styled 'godman' in Panchkula.

The Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice S Singh Saron, Justice Avneesh Jhingan and Justice Surya Kant, was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a Panchkula resident who had raised law and order concerns and stated that over 1.5 lakh people had reportedly entered the district earlier despite prohibitory orders.

The HC also took note of Khattar's statement yesterday in which he blamed anti-social elements for the violence, which also spilled over into neighbouring Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi.

"After the CBI court verdict, you immediately came to know that anti-social elements got mixed up with the followers, but how is it that you failed to take note when large number of Dera followers arrived in Panchkula," the Bench pointed out.

Over 30 congregation centres of Dera sealed

Meanwhile, among the centres that have been locked, 13 were in Ambala, 10 in Kurukshetra and eight in Yamunanagar district.

Also, over 3,000 'lathis' (wooden staffs), diesel and petrol were recovered from Kurukshetra alone.

The crackdown was launched both by Haryana and Punjab on the Dera centres, a day after violence in Panchkula and Sirsa districts claimed over 30 lives and left scores injured.

Punjab police also said that rods, axes etc were also recovered from 98 Dera centres spread across the state.

"We have recovered one AK 47 rifle and one Mauser (rifle) from the vehicle of a Dera follower and two rifles and five pistols from another vehicle during the operations," Haryana DGP BS Sandhu said.

He was addressing a joint press conference along with Haryana Chief Secretary DS Dhesi and Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas.

Dhesi disclosed that two cases of sedition had been registered against Dera followers, as per PTI.

Niwas was asked if searches were also being carried out at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa to which he replied in the negative.

"Security personnel are patrolling the outer area of the sect headquarters and keeping a close vigil," he said.

As many as 552 persons have been arrested in connection with yesterday's violence and further investigations are underway, the DGP said.

Panchkula DCP suspended for 'lapse'

On the other hand, the Haryana government today suspended the DCP of Panchkula over yesterday's violence.

The Haryana government was also forced to terminate the services of the state's Deputy Advocate General, Gurdas Salwara, for allegedly 'accompanying' Ram Rahim yesterday after his conviction.

The Army, meanwhile, said it had no immediate plan of entering Dera headquarters in Sirsa and that was focusing on maintaining law and order, reacting to reports that it had entered the premises.

Searches carried out in Punjab

Punjab also launched a crackdown on Dera centres, with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh stating that state police offices had visited all the 98 'Naam Sacha Ghars' (congregation centres) of the Dera in the state and recovered lathis, pipes and rods, axes and petrol bombs.

Punjab has tightened security at vital installations and is ready to enforce curfew again in sensitive areas of the state on Monday, if needed, in view of the upcoming sentencing of Ram Rahim, he said.

Singh added that Punjab remained peaceful and no loss of life was reported from any part of the state.

HC notifies Rohtak jail for court sitting on Monday

Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today said that the District Jail at Sunaria near Rohtak will be the place for sitting of the CBI special court for the sentencing of Ram Rahim Singh.

The sentencing is scheduled for Monday.

As per the notification issued by the High Court registrar, following directions from the Acting Chief Justice of the court, "the district jail, Rohtak at Sunaria is the place for the sitting of the CBI court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Panchkula, for the purpose of hearing of quantum of sentence...." in the conviction case of the sect chief, as per IANS.

The Haryana government has been directed by the HC to make travel arrangements by air of the CBI court judge, Jagdeep Singh, and his two staff members to Rohtak on Monday.

Ram Rahim was flown in a helicopter, specially arranged by the Haryana government, to Rohtak on Friday evening. 

CBI judge had yesterday held Ram Rahim, 50, guilty in a case that was registered on the basis of an anonymous written complaint in 2002 that he had sexually exploited female followers.

On the basis of the report, a case was registered against him in December 2002 by the CBI on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana HC.

The punishment can be a jail term not less than seven years but may even extend to life imprisonment.

(With Agency inputs)