Amid “sensitive” situation in Sirsa, where the Dera Sacha Sauda sect has its main headquarters, the District Administration said that no untoward incident was reported from Sirsa after the pronouncement of the quantum of sentence to rape convict dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
“Curfew is still in place in Sirsa. There was no report of any untoward incident and I hope that peace will be maintained, said IAS officer V Umashankar, while talking to the mediapersons at Sirsa.
Umashankar is presently posted as the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), but has been assigned special duty to assist the Sirsa administration, which is on a high alert keeping in view the Dera chief's conviction.
District Administration, Sirsa, has decided to initiate strict action against those persons who incited the people in order to disturb peace and law and order situation in the city, he said.
When asked about the number of people present inside the sprawling 800-acre Sirsa dera headquarter, he said that excluding the permanent residents of the area, many of whom were also dera followers, the number of others in the sect’s headquarters in Sirsa now was not more than a couple of thousand.
Security deployment, including Army and para-military forces, continued around the two campuses of the sect near Sirsa and curfew continued in affected areas of the district on Monday.
Umashankar informed that following court orders, the deputy commissioner of Sirsa had ordered the attachment of the accounts of Dera Sacha Sauda and compensation to the people affected by violence during the episode may be given from these as per court orders.
About the possibility of firearms being there in the sect headquarters, Umashankar said that some weapons are in the name of dera and some are registered in the names of individuals.
The District Administration and security forces are making concerted efforts to improve the law and order situation on priority basis, after which action would be initiated against the anti-social elements, said he.
“No incident of looting was reported from Sirsa city during the violence and the effective action taken by the Police and Administration led to minimal loss of life and property. More than 15,000 persons had entered the city with the intention of disturbing the peace and instigating riots. However, the security forces prevented a situation which could have been much worse,” he added.
Replying to a question about arson at the local milk plant, he said that the incident occurred as the milk plant was situated between two Dera sites. Vehicles were also damaged during this incident. Investigation would be conducted into this incident, he added.
He said that six people were killed in violence in Sirsa following conviction of the dera chief, said he while adding that “instigators” of violence will be identified and criminal proceedings will be launched against them.
From the day of Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction by a court in Panchkula on August 25, the State authorities had worked to ensure that the violent mob doesn’t move towards Sirsa city where the dera is headquartered. We were conscious that if such a mob comes towards the city and indulges in violence and arson, then it would have been very difficult to control and accordingly we deployed our forces, he said.
He said that another objective was that if violence occurred, we have to contain it in a specific area and prevent it from spreading, he said. The third objective is to exercise maximum restraint, which was not entirely possible in this kind of situation, but still we had to exercise it and not allow it to escalate, Umashankar added.
Many people had themselves came outside the dera headquarters. There is no plan to enter the Sirsa main headquarters. Our priority is to maintain law and order situation. If required to search the dera headquarters during any criminal case inquiry, we will do so, he added.
He further said that a meeting will be held with police, Army and administration to take a decision about relaxing or lifting curfew imposed in Sirsa.
IG (Hisar), A S Dhillon, who was also present, said that maintaining law and order is the top priority of the police and administration.
We have registered criminal cases in violence and nobody will be spared. Presently our priority is to maintain law and order, he said.
A special CBI court on Monday sentenced dera sacha sauda chief to 20 years in prison. His conviction in a 2002 rape case last week had triggered massive violence that left 38 dead and more than 260 injured in Haryana.
Car torched near Sirsa
A car was set on fire by unknown persons in a village near dera main headquarters in Sirsa after Dera Sacha Sauda chief was sentenced to 20 years in prison for rape.
“We are probing the matter. The statement of the village sarpanch is being recorded. Prima facie it appears to be an act of arson by Dera followers, who are irked over the court judgement," the police official said.
According to some villagers, a group of people arrived in two cars near Kotli village. Occupants of one of the cars came out, torched the luxury car and then went away in the other car, the villagers said.
Police officials said that all angles were being investigated.
DC Panchkula invites applications for compensation claims
Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula has invited applications or claims from affected entities regarding damage caused to public and private property in view of the violence that took place on August 25 in the district.
The applications or claims shall be submitted to the respective sub divisional officer (civil) in their offices. Claims shall also be entered by applicants on Haryana Government website. The claims shall be entered within a period of 15 days, said an official spokesman.
Notably, chaos had reigned in Haryana’s Panchkula district on Friday as followers of Dera Sacha Sauda sect went on a rampage leading to the death of atleast 38 people and more than 260 injured after a CBI special court had convicted self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the rape case.
The deaths took place in firing by security forces on the enraged Dera followers, who ran amok setting on fire government and private property as well as vehicles in Panchkula even as prohibitory orders were clamped and security forces in huge numbers were deployed in the district.
In all, 53 vehicles were burnt in Panchkula during the incidents of arson and violence by dera followers on Friday.
The State Government has annouced to give full compensensation to the people whose property were damaged during arson and violence.