The exercise of the “sanitisation” of the sprawling Dera Sacha Sauda sect headquarters will begin at Sirsa on Friday under the supervision of retired District and Sessions Judge, AKS Pawar, who is appointed as court commissioner by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The entire sanitisation process will be videographed and will involve a coordinated effort by security forces and various government departments. The premises of the Dera, whose chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was jailed in rape case, is spread over 800 acres and houses educational institutions, markets, hospital, stadium, recreational areas and houses.
Retired judge AKS Pawar on Thursday reached Sirsa and held a series of meetings with district administration and security forces in view of sanitisation operation at Sirsa dera. Haryana DGP BS Sandhu while talking to the mediapersons said that the sanitisation process will start on Friday. The Court Commissioner reached Sirsa on Thursday and held a briefing with officials there and took stock of things, he said.
“The police alongwith district administration has chalked out a strategy and are hopeful that the sanitisation process will be conducted in a smooth manner. The Dera management too has expressed willingness to cooperate us during the entire process, said Sandhu. While the sanitisation process will be overseen by the court commissioner, Haryana police personnel, paramilitary forces, duty magistrates, executive magistrates and revenue officials will also be part of the exercise, said the DGP, after holding a video conferencing with police officials from across the state.
Curfew continued to be imposed in the areas near the Dera premises on Thursday.
A total of 41 companies of paramilitary forces, four columns of army have been deployed in Sirsa district. Personnel from the anti-bomb disposal squad and 40 commandos of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and dog squad are also deployed near the dera premises.
Inspector general of police, Hisar, Amitabh Dhillon, Sirsa SP Ashwin Shenvi and Deputy Commissioner Prabhjot Singh checked all check-posts installed by the security forces on Thursday and also held a meeting to take stock of the situation.
Notably, large-scale violence broke out in Panchkula after the Dera chief Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction in rape cases, leaving 35 people dead. Six others died in incidents of violence in Sirsa.A special CBI court in Panchkula had sentenced the Dera chief to 20-year imprisonment in rape case on August 28.