Chandigarh : Chief Secretary of Haryana Depinder Singh Dhesi on Saturday said that no special treatment is being provided to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and added that action will be taken against those personnel who were lenient in their duty during the violence.
“Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim has not been given special treatment in jail. He has been kept like a normal prisoner. In the whole case, if anyone had done any sort of leniency in his duty, then required action will be taken. After 6:30 pm, neither Panchkula nor other parts of Haryana faced any violation of law and order. Law and order is being completely maintained in the entire state,” Dhesi told media here.
He added that the number of casualties in the incident, which took place following the pronouncement of the Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh verdict, has reached 28 in Panchkula which include 24 men, three women and one child.
“Three deaths have been reported from Sirsa. The number of injured is 250 wherein 50 are police personnel and out of these 101 have been referred to hospitals outside Panchkula. As of now only 61 are under treatment and rest have been discharged. All those injured do not belong to Panchkula,” he said.
Dhesi further said that 28 vehicles have been burnt down, which also included government vehicles and two government buildings were also damaged, adding six private shops were also burnt down.
“Under eight different FIRs, around 524 people have been arrested. The owners of the damaged vehicles can file a complaint and the State Government will compensate the entire expense. At the moment there are 101 companies of paramilitary which have been deployed by the State Government in Panchkula and Sirsa. Two cases of sedition have been filed till now,” he added.
Meanwhile, pained with the massive upsurge in the city, post conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 1999 rape case, the locals of Panchkula today termed the act of the former’s devotees as ‘terrorising’.
“What could be more terrorising than this, our own people are carrying such activity and are destructing our own property,” said a local told ANI.
Expressing anguish over the destruction of the property, the local further said that the situation is very pathetic and nothing can be more painful than to see the people destructing their own city.
“They (devotees) are attacking the security personnel, vandalizing property and now will ask the government to compensate,” he said.
“What preaching they have is clearly visible,” he added.
Another local, residing in the area, accused the state government for their negligence, which led to chaos in the city and added that the state government should have let the Indian army take over from the beginning to avoid such situation.
“They should have taken the precautions. They should have taken stern actions beforehand and shouldn’t have let the disciplines of Dera enter and gather in the city,” she said.
Meanwhile, high level meeting has begun at the Home Minister’s residence in the national capital. Home Secretary, National Security Agency (NSA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief are also present.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will also visit New Delhi today.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he has been briefed by DGP, the situation is peaceful and curfew has been lifted in three districts. He added that the state is on alert for next 48 hrs.
Following are other updates related to the case:
-District administration and police sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana’s Kurukshetra.
– Curfew has been imposed in Sangrur, Moga and Patiala district of Punjab. Security stepped up after violent protests by Dera followers in the state.
– Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand’s Nainital and Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh.
– Baghpat District Magistrate directs all schools in the region to remain closed today in Uttar Pradesh. Schools in Noida and Ghaziabad will also remain close today.
– Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to NCR due to incidents of arson.
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required. He assured to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas.
– Instances of violence are deeply distressing. Strongly condemn violence urge everyone to maintain peace, Prime Minister Modi tweeted.
– Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the state government had made complete arrangements; but the mob was really huge.
– Madhur Verma of Delhi Police confirmed that Dera Sacha Sauda followers tried to create mischief, following which a case has been registered. The police have recovered the CCTV footage, probe is underway.
– Chandigarh DGP Tejinder Singh Luthra confirmed that taking preventive measures, Chandigarh Police detains 81 people.
– Six private commandos of Ram Rahim Singh arrested by Chandigarh Police, weapons and petrol cans seized from them.
– 29 people have lost their lives, and 200 are injured. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed doctors for best possible treatment.
– Passengers have been stranded at Bathinda railway station due to curfew imposed in Punjab. (ANI)