Gurmeet Ram Rahim Verdict: Haryana, Punjab on Edge

CHANDIGARH: Hundreds of thousands of followers of a controversial Sikh religious leader are pouring into the tri-city (Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali) ahead of the August 25 verdict in the rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, putting the two North Indian states on the edge.

Haryana and Punjab states have been put on high alert, where authorities have declared a two day holiday and are even hinting at seeking Army's help to maintain law and order.

Such is the apprehension of widespread trouble that a major cricket stadium in Chandigarh city has been declared, as 'temporary jail' ahead of the court judgement.

One estimate put the number of devotees who have already reached the groups headquarters at one hundred thousand. Intelligence agencies estimate that their number may hit one million in the next two days.

Media reports say that the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda, the group headed by Gurmeet, have also stocked up on arms and ammunition, even as the followers have refuted such claims saying they have gathered only to hear the verdict and will go back after it.

Prohibitory orders are in place  and thousands of policemen and paramilitary troops have been deployed. Schools and colleges have been asked to remain shut on August 24 and 25.

Security forces in Haryana and Punjab have been taking out flag marches at many sensitive places. Haryana Government has already clamped prohibitory orders in all its districts as a precautionary measure. Police have set up barricades at several places in the two States, besides their common capital Chandigarh, where security has been further tightened ahead of the court verdict.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered withdrawal of 1,000 police personnel from VVIP security for deployment on field duty to strengthen the security blanket in the state, say reports. The Centre has also sanctioned an additional 10 companies of paramilitary forces to maintain law and order in the state.

A total of 85 central companies along with thousands of policemen on the ground will maintain a tight vigil, especially in the vulnerable areas of Moga, Bathinda, Sangrur, Barnala, Patiala and Ludhiana, say ANI reports.

Highly placed sources said that the state government might bring the Dera chief from his Dera headquarters' in Sisra to Panchkula by a helicopter to avoid his followers.

The controversial godman enjoys a Z-plus security cover by the Haryana Police. 

Dera Sacha Sauda chief, who has millions of followers in Punjab, Haryana, and other states, has been accused by a former female follower of raping her multiple times inside the sprawling Dera campus on the outskirts of Sirsa town in Haryana, 260km from Chandigarh. 

The case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim

The rape case against the Dera chief dates back to 2002. Two women followers of Ram Rahim sent anonymous letters to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, accusing the Dera chief of raping them and other sadhvis in his sprawling Dera campus. The sadhvis also accused Ram Rahim of threatening them and warning them against speaking out.

Following the letter, a case was registered by the CBI against the self-styled godman after allegations of sexual exploitation of the sadhvis. During the investigation, the CBI questioned the sadhvis who had left the Dera. The sadhvis reportedly made shocking allegations against Ram Rahim and two of them accused him of having raped them on account of 'purity'. The hearing in the case has been on since 2007 when the CBI filed a chargesheet against the Dera chief.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim also faces trial in another case involving the murder of a journalist, Ram Chander Chhatrapati and his follower Ranjit Singh in 2002.

DERA STAND

A spokesman of Dera Sacha Sauda said that the sect and its head had always followed the law and would continue to do so in future. "We have always followed the due process of law, never have we gone out of law's purview and never ever will we do so. During his satsangs in mornings and evenings, Guruji always talks about humanity and things which will benefit humanity. He talks about tree plantation, organ donations, blood donation and helping out weaker sections."

WHO IS GURMEET RAM RAHIM? 

Ram Rahim was born to Naseeb Kaur and Maghar Singh on 15 August 1967, at Sri Gurusar Modia village in Ganganagar district of Rajasthan.

On 23 September 1990, Shah Satnam held a satsang where he publicly conferred sainthood and succession of the spiritual leadership upon Gurmeet Ram Rahim.He is married and has three daughters and a son.

In May 2007, Singh was accused of hurting the religious sentiments of the Sikhs by wearing, in an advertisement, an attire, resembling the tenth and final living Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.

Politically he has been supportive of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In February 2015, his organisation openly supported BJP in Delhi elections and during Bihar assembly election in 2015, nearly 3000 Dera followers campaigned for BJP in the state.