Punjab, Hry crack down on dera assets

WHILE 90ODD MEN WERE EVICTED FROM DERA PREMISES IN SALABATPURA, POLICE SEARCHED 19 PRAYER CENTRES IN PATIALA

KARNAL/SIRSA/PATIALA/SANGRUR: A day after the special CBI court held Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty of rape, the Haryana and Punjab governments on Saturday launched a crackdown on the sect’s deras and naam charcha ghars (congregation centres) in their respective areas.

The dera premises were searched at several places, including Karnal, Kurushetra, Sirsa, Patiala and Sangrur across the two states, seizing AK-47 rifles, two pistols and a few other weapons, besides combustible materials such as petrol and diesel. The lethal weapons were recovered from two former Punjab cops wanted for sedition.

The duo was caught at “old dera” of the sect at Sirsa during checking by army and police personnel after the followers were asked to vacate the premises. The army has taken control of the dera. The crackdown on dera properties began after Ram Rahim’s followers indulged in violence following his conviction in a rape case. Public and private property was also damaged in the two states.

The dera’s congregation centres, a rest house and other properties were raided in Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Panipat. In Kaithal, police sealed five congregation centres and a prayer centre. They recovered about 200 litres of petrol, sharpedged weapons, sticks and empty bottles.

Another nine naam charcha ghars were sealed by police in Kurukshetra. Police sources said 2000 sticks and canes, sharp weapons and kerosene oil were recovered from there.

In Karnal, the police sealed 10 congregation centres after finding sticks and petrol during searches there. Also, police took control of nine congregation centres in Panipat, recovering stones and sharp weapons from there. Similar raids were also conducted in Mansa district of Punjab.

Mansa SSP Parambir Singh Parmar said no weapon or any objectionable item was found during the search operation in the dera premises.