Court verdict on Dera chief: Khattar holds high-level meeting

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today held a high-level meeting with senior police and administration officials to review arrangements being made to maintain law and order ahead of a special CBI court's verdict in a sexual exploitation case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, next week.
Khattar held a meeting here with the chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police and reviewed the arrangements to deal with any situation that may arise if the verdict in the case against the Dera chief goes against him.
The Dera chief has a large number of followers in Haryana and neighbouring Punjab also, and if the verdict goes against him, there is apprehension of a law and order problem.

Both Haryana and Punjab have sought paramilitary forces from the Centre to deal with any law and order situation that may arise if the verdict goes against the Dera chief.
Haryana has sought 150 companies of paramilitary forces from the Centre and cancelled leave of police personnel in view of security arrangements to help maintain law and order.
On being asked about the security arraignments in the state in view of the verdict of CBI court in Panchkula on August 25 in the case, Haryana DGP B S Sandhu said that adequate arrangements have been made to maintain proper law and order situation.

He said 35 companies of paramilitary forces would reach Haryana by Sunday.

Apart from Panchkula and Sirsa, forces would also be deployed in other sensitive areas of districts Kurukshetra, Ambala, Jind, Karnal, Kaithal, Fatehabad, Hisar and Panipat, he told reporters in Panchkula, near here.
To another question, the DGP said that he along with other senior police officers would personally visit Sirsa, headquarters of the Dera Sacha Sauda, to review the security arrangements.
Sandhu said the state police force was fully geared up to maintain law and order.
The chief secretaries and DGPs of Punjab and Haryana had met the Union home secretary in New Delhi on Wednesday and had apprised him of the steps taken by them to maintain law and order ahead of the verdict and briefed him about the security arrangements in the two states.

The special CBI court in Panchkula will pronounce the judgement in the sexual exploitation case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief on August 25.
The Sirsa-headquartered sect head has also been asked to appear in person before the court on the same day.
The sexual exploitation case was registered against the Dera chief in 2002 by the CBI on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court after anonymous letters were circulated about the alleged sexual exploitation of two 'Sadhvis' (female followers) by Ram Rahim Singh.
However, the Dera chief has denied these charges.
Security has been tightened around the Dera site while DCs and SPs of Sirsa, Rohtak, and Hisar also held a meeting to discuss the law and order situation.