Dera Sacha Sauda Headquarters to be Sanitised Today, Curfew to Remain in Sirsa Till Search Operations End

Apart from the operations being overseen by the court commissioner, Haryana police personnel, paramilitary forces, duty magistrates, executive magistrates and revenue officials will also be part of the exercise.

Chandigarh, Sept 8: The Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters will be finally sanitised on Friday. The exercise will begin at Sirsa today with coordinated effort of security forces and administrative officials. The entire process will be overseen by Court Commissioner and retired District and Sessions Judge AKS Pawar, who was appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday.

Sirsa District Commissioner on Thursday announced that the curfew imposed in Sirsa tomorrow during the operation will continue until the search ends.

AKS Pawar arrived Sirsa yesterday and met top officials to take stock of things before the process is undertaken, news agency PTI reported

The Dera HQ premise spreads over 800 acres and houses educational institutions, markets, hospital, stadium, recreational areas and houses. Haryana DGP B S Sandhu confirmed to PTI about the operation planned on Friday and said, “The sanitisation process will start tomorrow. The Dera premises is a very huge area and it will take time to complete the entire process.”

“The court commissioner reached Sirsa today. He held a briefing with officials there and took stock of things,” the DGP added.

Regarding media coverage of the operations, Sandhu said it will be out of bounds for the media.

Sirsa DC Prabhjot Singh regarding the security arrangement said, “We have 41 companies of CAPF, 4 columns of Army & police force. Our search operation will begin tomorrow morning.”

DGP Sandhu said he is hopeful the search operations will be peaceful as the Dera management has expressed willingness to cooperate as well. “We have formed 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 with the local administration and police during the investigation,” he said.

Apart from the operations being overseen by the court commissioner, Haryana police personnel, paramilitary forces, duty magistrates, executive magistrates and revenue officials will also be part of the exercise, he said.

According to officials quoted by PTI, curfew continued to be imposed in the areas near the Dera premises, but relaxations were being given during morning and evening hours, officials said.

As many as 16 checkpoints have been set up near the Dera. A total of 41 Companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed in Sirsa district. Bullet-proof vehicles are also likely to be used in the process, reports claimed.

Personnel from the anti-bomb disposal squad and 40 commandos of the ‘Special Weapons and Tactics’ (SWAT) team and dog squad will also be deployed.

Among the central forces, CRPF, Sashastra Seema Bal, Rapid Action Force and BSF are deployed in Sirsa. Aerial surveillance is also likely to be maintained when the sanitisation will take place, officials told PTI.

“We will press all necessary equipment at our disposal to conduct the sanitisation process smoothly,” the DGP said.

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. The police and the Dera management have maintained that licensed weapons have been deposited by most Dera followers at Sirsa with the police authorities.

On Thursday, a senior Punjab Police official said the incharge of Dera Sacha Sauda centre at Salabatpura, in Bathinda district, who had been booked for sedition and other charges was arrested today.

The extreme caution taken by the authorities comes in the backdrop of the violence that broke out soon after the conviction of the sect’s chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in rape cases. Violence broke out in several areas of Punjab and Haryana and some areas of Uttar Pradesh as Dera followers went on destroying public property. The violence also killed more than 30 people and injured many.

The SIT assigned to probe the violence on Thursday said Dera management allegedly paid over Rs. 5 crore to the followers to incite violence. Sources also claimed the Dera had assured to compensate in case of any loss of life during the violence.

Amid all allegations against the Dera chief, a journalist alleged that if the premises of the headquarters are searched, police would find human skeletons. In a TV report, he said Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh never tolerated anyone conspiring against him and hence used to get them killed and the bodies were destroyed in the premise itself.

On the other hand, the complainant in the rape case reportedly lived her life for years under heavy security protection as she feared for her life. She lived in one room and never met anyone, her security guard told a news channel.

(With agency inputs)