Ahead of the verdict on August 25, Haryana DGP B S Sandhu addresses police personnel at Sirsa on Saturday. (Express Photo)
After the approval of 35 companies of central paramilitary forces, Haryana has sought more forces keeping ahead of verdict in a rape case against Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh. “The 35 companies will start reaching the state from Saturday night. The Centre has assured us to give more companies, if required,” said Haryana DGP BS Sandhu on Saturday.
Sandhu on Saturday went to Sirsa to review the security arrangements. According to the DGP, as many as 10 companies of paramilitary would be deployed at Sirsa. Apart from Sirsa, a huge police force would also be deployed at Panchkula where a CBI court would pronounce the verdict on August 25. It is believed that a large number of followers may try to reach Panchkula ahead of the hearing. They already started reaching the town since Friday.
The DGP said that state police force was fully alert and capable of dealing with any kind of situation.”The forces will be deployed in about a dozen districts which have presence of dera followers,” he said.
The DGP said the dera chief had been attending the previous court hearings and hoped he would appear before the court on August 25 also. “The police force is fully alert, from Sirsa to Panchula. Proper security arrangements have been made in this regard. The police are also alert in sensitive areas such as Sirsa, Hisar, Fatehabad, Jind, Hansi, Kaithal and Kurukshetra and SPs of these districts have been directed to be vigilant. Police would also keep an eye on social media,” the DGP said.
Sandhu said the Haryana police were in touch with the police of neighbouring states, including Punjab, Delhi and Chandigarh. Meanwhile, followers of the dera chief gathered at the prayer hall of the dera in village Gahaur of Mullanpur of Ludhiana district, raising slogans hailing Ram Rahim and claiming his innocence.
Sensing law and order trouble, police force was deployed led by Ludhiana (rural) SSP Surjit Singh. Police were also deployed in Moga and Bathinda where the dera is said to have strong support base.