The law and order situation went for a toss in Punjab minutes after the special CBI court in Panchkula convicted Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in 15-year-old rape case.
Notwithstanding huge deployment of police and paramilitary forces across the State to keep the situation under control, the curfew has been imposed in six districts — Ferozepur, Faridkot, Mansa, Patiala, and Bathinda — till the filing of the report.
Curfew was also imposed at Malout in Muktsar district after 7 pm Friday. Faridkot Deputy Commissioner also ordered to impose curfew in the municipal limits of Faridkot, Kotkapura and Jaitu cities of the district from 5 pm to 8 am on August 26.
The State has declared Barnala, Kotkapura, Sangrur, Malaout, Bathinda, Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib “sensitive” in the wake of the verdict.
The “upset” Dera followers, christened as premis, went out on streets, torching the railway stations at Malout and Balluanna, besdies the telephones exchange and power grids at some places.
As many as 25 cases of petrol bombs have been reported, so far, from the State.
Appealing for peace, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has asked the State Director General of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora to impose curfew in Dera-dominated areas. Soon after which, the orders were passed to impose curfew at five places in the State.
Capt Amarinder, who is closely monitoring the situation, has also asked the Congress Ministers and the party MlAs to coordinate with the police and civil administration to check the situation.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs is also keeping a close tab on the situation in the State, with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking details on the measures taken to control the situation.
Rajnath Singh, who returned from Kyrgyz Republic on Friday only, spoke to Capt Amarinder inquiring about the ground situation. He also assured all possible help to the State Government.
At some places, the Army, which has been kept on stand-by since Thursday, has also been called in.
The towns and cities across the State wore the deserted look with most of the shopkeepers, traders bringing down their shutters as a precautionary measure, and leaving for their homes hours before the announcement of verdict.
Already, the Government had announced closure of all educational institutions, and Government offices for Friday, with the District Administration at many districts extending the closure to Saturday also.
In ludhiana, the police asked the shopkeepers at the Railway Station and on Ferozepur road to close shops. The situation in Kotkapura and Faridkot was also reported to be edgy with the police asking all shopkeepers to pull down the shutters after the verdict.
Meanwhile, in Mansa, two vehicles of Income Tax Department were torched. Soon after the incident, the additional forces were rushed to contain the situation.
Four motorcycle riders tried to set two 132 KV power stations of PSPCl on fire in Kotkapura by hurling petrol pumps out of ehich one missed the target, and another set the pump on fire. However, the security persons on duty were able to douse the fire.
In Sangrur, miscreants set lehragaga tehsil office on fire and try to set the Fard Kender on fire. The Dera followers also blocked the National Highway at Dirba in Sangrur district.
The police also tightened security around new Moti Bagh Palace — Capt Amarinder’s residence in Patiala.
Even as Mohali remained peaceful by and large, Mohali Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Kaur Sapra decided to call in the Army “as a precautionary measure”.
Petrol bomb was thrown on the gate of a railway crossing at Dagru village in-between Ferozepur and Moga by motorcycle borne miscreants, which failed to catch fire in Moga, which by and large remained peaceful.
MUKTSAR BURNING
Punjab’s Muktsar district was on boil on Friday after the pronouncement of verdict against the Dera Sacha Sauda sect head in a rape case.
The situation, that the police claimed was taken under control by 7:30 pm, went so bad that the para-military forces were called in. All eight trains from Muktsar have been cancelled, with buses too remaining off road throughout the day.
“Muktsar is now peaceful…the situation is under control…The police has detained one person in case of Malout railway station fire. The matter is being investigated…The curfew would be imposed only in Malout,” a senior Government functionary told The Pioneer.
Paramilitary forces were deployed on the street leading to SSP residence. The Police beefed up the security outside the Punjab’s former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s residence at Badal village.
Earlier in the day, nearly 25 masked men hurled petrol bombs at a petrol pump at Burj Sidhwan village in lambi in Muktsar district setting the pump on fire which was controlled soon after.
In another incident, some masked men throw petrol bombs on the telephone exchange at Tappakhera village in lambi, also claiming that the miscreants also fired in air. Another case of petrol bomb was reported from Malout town wherein agitators hurled it at a petrol pump on Chhapianwali road in Malout town.
Ambala-bound empty passenger train was halted at Pakki Tibbi railway station in Muktsar district, besides an empty goods train was also halted at Muktsar railway station.