Fivetier security turns Rohtak into fortress
CBI judge to be flown to Rohtak jail where a special court room has been set up; curfew clamped in Sirsa, rail service from Delhi to Katra via Ambala resumes
ROHTAK : The district police have taken at least 100 followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda in preventive custody apprehending law and order problem after the court pronounces quantum of sentence to rape convict dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Monday.
At least 38 people were killed in violence that had erupted soon after a CBI court pronounced Ram Rahim guilty of raping two of his followers on Friday.
For pronouncement of quantum of sentence, the CBI judge will be flown in a helicopter to Rohtak jail, where a court room has been set up for hearing.
Sources said the decision on the punishment is expected to come around 2.30 pm.
Rohtak range IG Navedeep Singh Virk said adequate security arrangements have been made to ensure safety of the judge and other officials.
10 ‘NAAM CHARCHA GHARS’ SEALED
He said the police have sealed all 10 ‘naam charcha ghars’ of the dera in Rohtak range. “Followers of the dera are not being allowed to enter the district. As per Section 144 of the CrPC, gathering of more than four people is barred,” he said.
Besides around 1,500 personnel of the Haryana Police, 23 companies comprising around 100 men each of the paramilitary forces have been deployed in the district.
5-TIER SECURITY OUTSIDE JAIL
A five-tier security comprising Border Security Force (BSF) Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has been deployed at Sunariya jail, where Ram Rahim is lodged.
The IG said they were in touch with the army, but maintained that calling them into action would not be necessary.
The administration had earlier sought 18 army columns for Rohtak for the verdict. The jail authorities have also suspended the visits of family of inmates.
The IG said there were no reports of dera supporters gathering in the city so far. He said all public transport, including buses and trains, have been shut from and to Rohtak to prevent any unsupervised activity.
The district administration has announced a holiday for all government and private schools and colleges for Monday.
The villagers have been asked to go for ‘thikri pehras’ (street patrol) and not go out unless very important.
As Rohtak bore brunt of the violence during the Jat quota agitation in February last year, the markets wore deserted looks as worried traders kept their shops closed.
SPECIAL SECURITY FOR MEDIA
After the violent attacks on mediapersons and their vehicles by dera supporters in Panchkula, the police have made special security arrangements here for the media for Monday’s hearing. The authorities, however, have made no arrangement for the media to get prompt information on what the verdict will be.
Since all movement has been stopped at least three km from the jail and no entry is allowed in the court, the authorities are yet to decide how the decision will be communicated to the media.
FIVE HELD IN HISAR
Five Dera Sacha Sauda followers were arrested for defying prohibitory orders which have been clamped here in the wake of the conviction of sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the police said on Sunday.
Some dera followers on Saturday night gathered in Uttam Dharamshala here and held a meeting, they said and added after that they were proceeding towards Paraw Chowk while raising antigovernment slogans.
Police swung into action and arrested five Dera followers from there.
The arrested followers were identified as Kamal Singh, Keshav, Ram Singh, Vinod Kumar and Sunil, the police said.
They were arrested on the charge of disobeying an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant, the police said. Prohibitory orders are in place in Hisar along with other districts.