Dera sect followers flood Sirsa ahead of court verdict

Lakhs of followers of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh have camped at the sect's headquarters here which has been kept under intense police security cover, ahead of a court verdict, a spokesperson of the sect today said.
Dera, meanwhile has appealed to its followers to maintain peace in Haryana and neighbouring area.
Dera spokesperson Dilawar Insa said they are in favour of peace but fear that some anti-social element may take some advantage to "defame the sect".
"Five lakh followers have arrived in Dera. The sect has contributed in various fields to serve humanity," Dera's another spokersperson Aditya Insa claimed.

Fearing trouble, especially if the verdict goes against the controversial Dera chief, thousands of jawans, including 15,000 paramilitary troops, have been deployed in sensitive areas across Punjab and Haryana.
Neighbouring borders have also been sealed and police pickets erected to check vehicles.
Dera Sacha Sauda has a huge following in Punjab as well as Haryana and both the states are on a high alert.
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.