Peace prevailing in Haryana; 2 cases of sedition filed: Govt
CHANDIGARH: A day after 36 people died and hundreds injured in violence following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the Haryana government claimed on Saturday that peace had been restored throughout the state.
Two cases of sedition have been registered against the Dera chief 's followers, Haryana Chief Secretary D S Dhesi said and added that one child and three women were among the 28 persons who died in Panchkula on Friday.
"Peace is prevailing throughout the state and no incident has occurred anywhere after 6.30 pm Friday," Dhesi told a press conference here. Dhesi also said that proper security arrangements had been made for Monday, when the quantum of Singh's sentence will be announced by the CBI court.
Addressing a joint press conference with the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Ram Niwas, and Director General of Police, B S Sandhu, Dhesi disclosed that two cases of sedition had been registered against Dera followers.
The police have recovered an AK-47 rifle and one Mauser from the vehicle of a Dera chief's follower, and two rifles and five pistols from another vehicle, he said. As many as 524 persons have been arrested under eight different FIRS registered against the Dera followers, he said.
"The law-and-order situation is being constantly monitored. As many as 101 companies of paramilitary have been deployed in the state. Six columns of the Army have been deployed in Panchkula, and four in Sirsa. Curfew has been relaxed in Panchkula and Sirsa," Dhesi said.
The Sirsa district administration, with assistance from police, paramilitary and the Army is sanitising and securing the area outside Dera Sacha Sauda, he said.
Dhesi also said that casualties during the violence following delivery of the verdict against Dera chief in Panchkula on Friday did not include any local resident.
"In all, 28 persons including 24 men, three women and one child, were killed during the violence in Panchkula, whereas three persons were killed in Sirsa. As many as 250 persons were injured, including 50 police personnel. Of these, 101 persons have been referred to hospitals outside Panchkula for treatment whereas 31 have been discharged," he said.
None of the injured belonged to Panchkula, Dhesi said. "Identities of those killed are being established and post-mortem examination is being carried out to ascertain the cause of death. However, no resident of Panchkula has reported any person missing, injured or killed," he added.
The mob burnt 28 vehicles, including some belonging to the government besides setting on fire two government buildings - one which housed offices of the Income Tax Department and HARTRON, he said.
Besides, six private shops were damaged and two other structures, including the ATM of a bank, were set on fire, he said.