August 26, 2017: Haryana Government today said peace is prevailing throughout the state and no incident has occurred anywhere after 6.30 pm yesterday. Chief Secretary, Mr. D.S. Dhesi, said curfew has been relaxed in Sirsa and Panchkula, and all security arrangements have been made ahead of the announcement of the quantum of sentence to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, by the CBI court on Monday. He said that 101 companies of paramilitary have been deployed in the state and six columns of the Army have been deployed in Panchkula, and four in Sirsa.
Addressing a joint press conference with the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Mr. Ram Niwas, and Director General of Police, Mr. B.S. Sandhu at Chandigarh today, Mr Dhesi said that total 8 FIRs including two cases of sedition have been registered against Dera supporters and 524 persons arrests have been made.
He said that police have recovered one AK47 rifle and one Mauser from a vehicle of a Dera follower, and two rifles and five pistols from another vehicle during the operations. Eight different FIRs have been registered against the Dera followers.
Haryana government today said that there in no plan to send Army in the Dera Sachha Sauda headquarter in Sirsa. Chief Secretary D S Dhesi said in Chandigarh that reports by some news channels about sending Army in Dera are not based on facts. Major General R L Poonia also clarified at Sirsa in a press conference today that Army has not entered the Dera. He said that Army had staged a flag march upto Dera headquarters and appealed to the people to leave the premises and not to indulge in any unlawful activity.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today said that law and order situation is under control in the state. He said yesterday 52 minor incidents of violence were reported and 19 arrests have been made in this connection. Police have recovered Lathis, roda, axes and petrol bombs from them. He said that total 39 FIRs had been registered against Dera supporters.
The Chief Minister was addressing a press conference at Chandigarh today. He said 7 people belong to Punjab were among those died in violence at Panchkula yesterday. He said six dead bodies have been identified and one is yet to be identified. He said that 42 people from Punjab injured in the violence in Haryana and all were Dera followers.
Chief Minister said that Punjab is fully prepared to tackle any untoward situation if arises after pronouncement of punishment to Dera chief on August 28. He told that curfew has been lifted from Muktsar Sahib, Faridkot and Sangrur.
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. DGP B S Sandhu said this evening that six casualties are in Sirsa and remaining are in Panchkula. He said thirteen persons from among the 36 deceased have been identified.
The State Police Chief further said authorities are now trying to ensure that there are no untoward incidents tomorrow 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.
Meanwhile, Haryana goverment has terminated the services of the state’s Deputy Advocate General, Gurdas Salwara, for allegedly “accompanying” Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh yesterday after the sect head’s conviction. (AIR News)
