Violence dies down by sunset as police open fire; curfew in 10 districts of Punjab
AMN / Panchkula / Sirsa/ Hisar
At least 31 people died and 250 injured as violence and destruction descended on Panchkula and other parts of Haryana and Punjab as soon as Sirsa Dera Sacha sauda Chief head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted by a special CBI court here in a rape case.
Photo courtesy: Tribune
Followers of Ram Rahim, who had gathered here in thousands over the past four days, went on a rampage, hurling stones, vandalising media vehicles and setting afire several vehicles, many among them two-wheelers.
As many as 28 deaths were reported from Panchkula while three deaths were reported from Sirsa. Around 250 were reported injured.
In Panchkula, violent dera followers, who outnumbered the cops on duty, broke police cordon at Sectors 4-5 roundabout and started marching towards the court complex in Sector 1. There are also reports of stone-pelting by the mob and scuffles with the security forces and media. The cops on duty seem helpless even as the Army has taken over the law and order situation in Panchkula. Situation turns highly volatile and locals lock themselves indoors, fearing violence.
DCP Panchkula was suspended for negligence in imposition of Section 144.
Thick smoke billowed high in the sky as terrified local residents locked themselves inside their homes as scenes outside shook even the toughest of the tough to the bone.
According to TV reports many women among the followers who had gathered here gave a tough time to the police and paramilitary personnel.
Immediately after the CBI court here convicted the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, many of his followers broke police barricades and security cordons.
At least three OB vans of private television channels were damaged. Two vans were overturned by a mob.
CBI judge Jagdeep Singh, while holding the 50-year-old Dera chief guilty of rape, said the quantum of sentence would be pronounced on August 28, CBI counsel HPS Verma told reporters outside the court.
Punjab and Haryana High court had come down heavily on the Haryana government for its apparent inability to maintain law and order in the state ahead of the CBI court verdict and pulled it up for not imposing Section 144 CrPC correctly to prevent the huge gathering of Dera followers in Panchkula.
The bench had asserted that the court did not want a repeat of situation similar to the one witnessed in February last year when violence during Jat reservation stir in Haryana claimed 30 lives and property worth hundreds of crores of rupees was damaged by arsonists.
Friday’s violence which broke out here was third major incident after last year’s Jat agitation violence and November 2015 when there was a two-week tense standoff between some of the self-styled godman Rampal’s followers and the police in Hisar during which five women and a child had died.
Rampal had later been arrested after a tense standoff between some of his supporters and the police after close to 15,000 of his followers were evacuated from the sprawling premises.
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.
Police have launched a major crackdown and arrested some supporters of the Dera Sacha Sauda, including a member of its state-level committee, an official spokesperson said.
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said the decision to call out the Army was taken to prevent any loss of life or damage to public/ private property in the 10 districts—Sangrur, Barnala, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Bathinda, Mansa, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Faridkot, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Moga.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has reacted sharply to vandalism by Dera supporters. The court has ordered attachment of all properties belonging to Ram Rahim.
It has directed recovery of losses caused due to violence from Dera Sacha Sauda.
President Ram Nath Kovind has appealed to all citizens to maintain peace. The President has condemned the violence and damage to public property by supporters of Dera Sachcha Sauda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the law and order situation in Haryana with the National Advisor Ajit Doval and Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi.
In a series of tweets, Mr Modi said, the law and order situation is being closely monitored. He urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required.
The Prime Minister strongly condemned the violence and urged everyone to maintain peace. He said, the instances of violence are deeply distressing.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh has appealed to everyone to maintain peace.
Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal has directed police commissioner to take effective measures to ensure protection of life and property.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also urged people to maintain peace.
Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called for sacking of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal in the wake of mounting death toll in violence.
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“The Army was staging flag-march in the curfew-bound areas of Punjab to restore the confidence of the people,” he said.
*Dera followers from Haryana are being assembled at Ambala bus station where they are being boarded into buses for Pipli, Yamunagar and Pehowa. SDMs of these districts are deputed to ensure that they reach their respective towns.
*15 bodies have arrived at the Panchkula civil hospital; around 150 injured referred to various hospitals
* Eight bodies have reached the PGI, Chandigarh; five bodies at GMCH-32; 50 injured at the PGI, 39 at GMCH-32 and 10 injured at GMSH-16
*Five-star Hotel Holiday Inn in Sector 3, Income Tax office in Sector 2, and petrol pump in Sector 4 of Panchkula have been put on fire and destroyed. Panchkula’s skyline turns black
Curfew imposed, additional Army called in Panchkula. Power supply to most areas snapped. Situation tense and going out of control as the mob go on the rampage.
*Three killed, seven injured in police firing in Sirsa as Dera followers attempt to enter Sirsa town
*All trains cancelled from Ambala
*Dera followers target the media; an OB van set on fire and two others were damaged in Panchkula. A print media cameraman was hurt and his camera damaged. Security forces use teargas shells to disperse the mob in Sector 3 of Panchkula, which seemed out of control
KC Theatre and Raj Hans Mall in Sector 5, Panchkula, set on fire. Despite curfew, the mob remains out of control and continues with fire, stone-pelting and scuffles
*Curfew imposed in Panchkula
*In Mansa, two vehicles of Income Tax department torched
*In Ludhiana, police ask shopkeepers at the railway station and on Ferozepur Road to close shops
*In Ferozepur, DC/SSP meet Premis exhorting them to maintain peace
*In Sangrur, miscreants set Lehragaga tehsil office on fire and try to set the fard kendra on fire
*Curfew clamped in Ferozepur, Mansa and Bathinda
*In Panchkula, violent dera followers, who outnumbered the cops on duty, broke police cordon at Sectors 4-5 roundabout and started marching towards the court complex in Sector 1. There are also reports of stone-pelting by the mob and scuffles with the security forces and media. The cops on duty seem helpless even as the Army has taken over the law and order situation in Panchkula. Situation turns highly volatile and locals lock themselves indoors, fearing violence.
*At Rohtak, jail authorities have no official information about the shifting of Gurmeet Ram Rahim here. However, tight security arrangements have been made outside the district jail. A jail official confirms that he may be shifted to Rohtak jail.
*After the verdict, traders lower the shutters of their shops as a precautionary measure
*Market areas being shut down in Kurukshetra. Dera followers gathering at naam charcha ghars; administration on alert
*In Muktsar, nearly 25 masked men hurl petrol bombs at a petrol pump at Burj Sidhwan village in Lambi in Muktsar, says Jagdish Singh, husband of the village sarpanch.
*TV reports say three dera supporters die in Panchkula
*Muktsar: Some masked men came on two motorcycles and lob petrol bombs on Telephone Exchange at Tappakhera village in Lambi in Muktsar. Gurjinder Singh village sarpanch confirms it. He claimed miscreants also fired in air.
*New Delhi. Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh to be taken to Western Command Chandimandir. From there he will be taken in helicopter to jail nominated by Haryana. The western Command entrance is some 2 km from the court in Panchkula
*Punjab CM appeals for peace in Punjab. Forces prepared to check any violence