Chandigarh: The death toll in the violence following Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction in a rape case climbed up to 36 on Saturday even as there was no report of fresh violence in Haryana.
State authorities are now trying to ensure that there are no untoward incidents on Sunday or on Monday when the special CBI court judge will be flown to the district jail in Sunaria in Rohtak for pronouncing the quantum of sentence.
“Thirty six people have died, out of which six casualties are in Sirsa and remaining are in Panchkula,” DGP BS Sandhu said this evening.
Thirteen persons from among the 36 deceased have been identified, the police said.
No untoward incident was reported from neighbouring Punjab also as security forces conducted flag marches and kept a tight vigil in the sensitive areas. Curfew was also relaxed at some places where it had been imposed.
Facing flak over the failure to check violence by Dera Sacha Sauda followers, the Haryana government on Saturday suspended the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Panchkula, alleging that a “defective” order by him allowed the crowd build-up in the district.
There was mayhem in Panchkula on Friday as Dera Sacha Sauda supporters went berserk after the sect chief’s conviction setting afire vehicles and pelting stones. The violence resulted in nearly 30 deaths in Panchkula itself.
The Haryana goverment was also forced to terminate the services of the state’s Deputy Advocate General, Gurdas Salwara, for allegedly “accompanying” Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh after the sect head’s conviction.
Meanwhile, as part of the crackdown on Dera centres, security personnel on Saturday conducted search operations at congregation centres across Haryana and Punjab and recovered a large number of sticks and sharp-edged objects.
Many Dera centres in Haryana were being sealed and security personnel deployed outside their premises to prevent any untoward incident, officials said.
The High court ordered the Haryana government to make arrangements at district jail in Sunaria in Rohtak for the special CBI court judge to pronounce Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s quantum of sentence on Monday.
The court directed that necessary arrangements for security and safe transport by air of the judicial officer and two staff members should be made.
The Haryana police, meanwhile, recovered an AK-47 rifle and a Mauser from the vehicle of a Dera follower, and two rifles and five pistols from another vehicle during the operations, DGP Sandhu said.
As many as 552 persons have been arrested in connection with Friday’s violence and further investigations are underway, the DGP said.
