Centre asks Haryana govt to ensure security of judge who convicted Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in rape case

CBI judge Jagdeep Singh on Friday held Dera chief guilty of raping a female follower more than 15 years ago.

Pic courtesy: IANS (File image)

New Delhi: The Centre on Friday night asked the Haryana government to provide adequate security to the CBI special court judge who convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.

The Home Ministry told the Haryana government that Judge Jagdeep Singh should be provided highest level of security in view of the threat perception after he delivered the verdict against the Dera head, an official said.

The Ministry will analyse intelligence inputs before deciding whether the Judge's security needs to be handled by a central force, such as the CRPF or CISF, he added, as per PTI.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar admitted today that there were lapses in handling the situation in the state but asserted appropriate action was being taken.

Facing a volley of questions from reporters on the violence, he said the "lapses have been identified and we are taking appropriate steps".

This should not have happened," he added.

"Some people have lost lives and vehicles have been set on fire while government property too has been damaged. Some OB vans of the media have also been damaged by the mob," Khattar said.

"All those who have taken law into their hands will be punished. We have identified some culprits including those who fired (from the mob at security forces), some of whom have been nabbed and action will be taken against them," he said.

The government will assess the damage, he further said.

Asked how thousands of Dera followers managed to reach Panchkula and was his government prepared for this, Khattar said, "We were prepared to deal with the situation. Since it was a very big mob."

Khattar ducked a question on how thousands of Dera followers managed to reach Panchkula despite Section 144 being imposed much earlier.

When repeatedly asked how the followers managed to reach in such big numbers and whether it was a failure of his government, he replied, "When such issue comes where you are dealing with followers in such numbers... We tried to stop them.

Thousands of followers of Ram Rahim went on the rampage, setting fire to vehicles, buildings and railway stations soon after a special CBI court convicted him in the 2002 rape case.

Police responded by opening fire. They fired in the air and lobbed tear gas shells on sections of the crowds, many of them camping since last night on the streets of Panchkula.

The unrest which began in Panchkula where the verdict was handed down, spread to other parts of Haryana and Punjab and even New Delhi where a bus and train were set on fire.

Curfew was clamped in Panchkula.

Curfew was also imposed in place in Sirsa while Kaithal town was also brought under curfew this evening.

Sirsa is the headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda of which Ram Rahim, 50, is its chief.

Six columns of Army, comprising a total of 500 to 600 soldiers were deployed in Panchkula.

CBI judge Jagdeep Singh, while holding the Dera chief guilty of raping a female follower, said the quantum of sentence would be pronounced on August 28.

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

(With PTI inputs)