Many dead in Panchkula violence as Dera chief found guilty of rape

* Defiant followers of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh today stayed put at the sect headquarters, despite appeals by the Army and authorities to vacate the premises.

* The Army, which along with police had put up barricades at entry points of the Dera Sacha Sauda premises following yesterday's violence triggered by the rape conviction of Ram Rahim, is mulling its options, said a senior official, who did not wish to be named.

* Fifteen dera followers have been arrested since last night here, police said.

* An estimated one lakh people, including women and children, are present in the sect headquarters. The Army and district authorities have been making announcements through loudspeakers, asking those inside to leave the premises.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"> Paramilitary forces surround Dera headquarters. Watch details. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamRahimConvicted?src=hash">#RamRahimConvicted</a> <a href="https://t.co/XBqautyME7">pic.twitter.com/XBqautyME7</a></p> &mdash; TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimesNow/status/901326399088218112">August 26, 2017</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"> Outside visual of Rohtak district prison in Sunaria where Dera chief <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamRahimSingh?src=hash">#RamRahimSingh</a> is lodged. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Haryana?src=hash">#Haryana</a> <a href="https://t.co/uyuZmhgZKh">pic.twitter.com/uyuZmhgZKh</a></p> &mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/901321473691758592">August 26, 2017</a></blockquote>

* Authorities in Punjab and Haryana today relaxed curfew in some towns to enable the residents to buy essential and eatable items.

* In Punjab, curfew was relaxed in Patiala, Bathinda and Ferozepur towns for four hours, while in Haryana it was relaxed in Kaithal town.

* In Haryana's Fatehabad town, the Army was deployed to assist the paramilitary and police personnel in maintaining law and order.

* The situation in Haryana's Sirsa, the headquarters of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, 260 km from here, was tense as over one lakh followers were still camping there.

* "The Army has been asking the followers to vacate the Dera premise voluntarily. Over 2,000 followers have left but still nearly one lakh people are stationed there," a senior police official told IANS here. To control the situation, the Punjab government on Friday imposed curfew in six districts. They were Patiala, Sangrur, Ferozepur, Mansa, Faridkot, Bathinda and two sub-divisions Malout in Muktsar Sahib and Abohar in Fazilka district. No incident was reported from 13 remaining districts of Punjab, the government said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LatestVisuals?src=hash">#LatestVisuals</a> from Haryana&#39;s Rohtak: Section 144 still imposed, security deployed. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamRahimVerdict?src=hash">#RamRahimVerdict</a> <a href="https://t.co/7nYJxhBD9Z">pic.twitter.com/7nYJxhBD9Z</a></p> &mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/901300727519236097">August 26, 2017</a></blockquote>

Internet services blanked out, electricity shut, markets closed and zero access to basic amenities &mdash; Panchkula and Zirakpur were thrown into the dark ages on Friday. While internet services were suspended on Thursday night, power was snapped around 2.10pm in Panchkula. No one was allowed to enter or leave the city without a valid reason.

Uneasiness prevailed at the biggest branch of Dera Sacha Sauda in Punjab at Salabatpura village in Bathinda district after the sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted in the rape case by a special CBI court in Panchkula on Friday.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamRahimSingh?src=hash">#RamRahimSingh</a> is being treated as normal prisoner. No attendant provided, no AC in the cell he is lodged in: KP Singh, DG Prisons (Haryana) <a href="https://t.co/aLLXdUcNym">pic.twitter.com/aLLXdUcNym</a></p> &mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/901298234466816001">August 26, 2017</a></blockquote>

In view of the prevailing volatile situation across Punjab after conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case on Friday, Punjab home department has directed all district magistrates (DMs) to remain in touch with the local Army authorities.

Almost 15-years after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS), was accused of sexually exploi ting sadhvis (female disci ples), a special CBI court on Friday held him guilty of ra pe and criminal intimidation.

Train no 19023 Mumbai Central-Firozpur Janta Express
Train no 12925 Bandra Terminus-Amritsar Paschim Express
Train no 19027 Bandra Terminus-Jammu Tawi Vivek Express
Train no 12473 Ahmedabad-Sri Maa Vaishno Devi Katra Express
Train no 19223 Ahmedabad-Jammu Tawi Express
Train no 12919 Indore-Jammu Tawi Malwa Express

The 16,000 paramilitary forces and Haryana cops on the ground in Panchkula ahead of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's rape conviction were so ill-prepared for violence that many of them left their posts and ran away when the mob charged at them during the peak of the violence on Friday.

When special CBI judge Jagdeep Singh held him guilty on Friday, Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh could not understand what the judge had said. In fact, when the counsel pronounced him guilty, he was shocked. According to the public prosecutor for CBI HPS Verma, who was present inside the courtroom, the dera head remained in a state of shock for some time.

A DTC bus driver and the conductor of another stared death in the face, but turned the tables on the group of men who attacked them, all the while shouting their support for Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, saving the lives of over 150 passengers in Jyoti Nagar in north-east Delhi.

#LatestVisuals from Panchkula where violence was witnessed yesterday: Section 144 still imposed; security deployed. #RamRahimVerdict pic.twitter.com/eRAolxSlsJ

&mdash; ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

Bhagwan Krishan ke yahan 360 gopian thee jinse vo prem leela karte the. Phir bhi log unhe bhagwan mante hain, ye koi nai baat nahi (Lord Krishna had 360 gopis he loved. Yet people worship him as God, it's not a new thing)."

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had reportedly told this to one of his disciples when she objected to his sexual advances.

It was a probe no one wanted to pursue and witnesses and victims were either killed, went missing or retracted their statements out of fear for their life, said retired police officer M Narayanan, who led the CBI probe into the rape and murder cases.

The UK has issued a safety advisory for its citizens travelling to India, saying possibility of further serious violence may be expected after the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

"485 train services have been affected (due to the violence). Of these, 445 stood cancelled," Neeraj Sharma, spokesperson, Northern Railway, said.

Haryana police chief B S Sandhu tonight said 550 people have been rounded up and some arms and ammunition recovered after the violence in Panchkula in the wake of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh being convicted in a rape case.

He said curfew, which was clamped in Panchkula in the evening, has been lifted but certain restrictions are still in place.

"Three rifles, three pistols along with live cartridges and narcotics have been recovered and 65 dera vehicles have been impounded," the DGP said at a late night press conference.

#Punjab: Curfew imposed in Sangrur, security stepped up after violent protests by Dera followers post #RamRahimSingh's conviction. pic.twitter.com/hRKYNObEqq

&mdash; ANI (@ANI) August 25, 2017

3 rifles, pistols, cartridges, narcotics recovered from 65 cars of Dera people during checking: BS Sandhu,DGP Haryana #RamRahimVerdict pic.twitter.com/47mRwraoUz

&mdash; ANI (@ANI) August 25, 2017

Punjab government on Friday called in Army in ten districts and imposed preventive curfew in some sensitive areas of these districts following sporadic incidents of violence in some areas after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted in a rape case.

The Army was called out and curfew was imposed in 10 districts of Punjab's Malwa region, home to a large number of Dera Sacha Sauda followers, as violence spread to the state following the conviction of the sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case today.

Delhi Police has implemented prohibitory orders in 11 districts in the capital, to be in force till September 8, following widespread violence in Punjab, Haryana and elsewhere which has claimed the lives of at least 30 people. This comes in the wake of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim being found guilty in a rape case.

Meanwhile, Delhi police commissioner Amulya Patnaik has appealed to all to maintain peace. "Appeal to all to maintain peace & order. #DelhiPolice on full alert. Strict legal action will be taken against miscreants for any violation," he tweeted.