PANCHKULA: The violence in
Panchkula that followed the conviction of
Dera
Sacha Sauda chief
Gurmeet Ram Rahim on August 25 was pre-planned and allegedly perpetrated at the instance of the sect chief, according to one of the 54 FIRs lodged in Panchkula and Sirsa.
A Haryana police inspector, Shri Bhagwan, has lodged a complaint against Gurmeet and Dera’s Kurukshetra coordinator Jasbir Singh, following which police have registered a case of rioting, assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy.
Shri Bhagwan was heading a Seema Suraksh Bal team deployed since August 23 and was attached with duty magistrates Vinod Goel and Navdeep Kumar.
“Around 3pm, Dera followers came to know of Baba’s conviction. As per the pre-planned strategy of Dera head, thousands of followers headed by Kurukshetra resident Jasbir Singh went on the rampage while violating prohibitory orders,” he said in his complaint.
Giving the sequence of events, he said, “Initially, duty magistrates Goyal and Navdeep issued a warning and directed use of water cannon and teargas shells. As the mob resorted to torching of buildings as well as firing on the force, the duty magistrates ordered firing in the air. Security forces opened fire in the air which restricted the damage,” the FIR read. “Dera followers obstructed official duty and made a murder attempt on the force.”