Search at Dera HQ in Sirsa likely after chief's sentencing

Haryana Police today said it might conduct search at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa after the sentencing of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case tomorrow.
Over 100 congregation centres of the Dera have been "santitised" with the recovery of a large number of weapons, police said.
Following Friday's mayhem in Panchkula after the conviction of the Dera chief, the Haryana government has launched a crackdown on congregation centres of the Dera where police suspected weapons and other materials could have been hidden.
Haryana DGP B S Sandhu today said the police would try to conduct check at the Dera headquarters after the quantum of the sentence is pronounced in the rape case at a Rohtak jail tomorrow.

He was asked if there was any move to conduct search at the Dera headquarters after the Dera centres across the state were searched.
"As far as Sirsa (Dera) is concerned, people (Dera followers) are coming out of it (Dera premises). We have also been facilitating them to come out (of Dera premises) since yesterday," he told reporters here.

"After the sentence is pronounced tomorrow, we will try to carry out search at the Dera. But as of now, there is no such plan," Sandhu said.
"Haryana Police has sanitised 103 'naam charcha ghars' (congregation centres) of the Dera Sacha Sauda in different districts, and recovered 14 motorcycles, one tractor, four other two-wheelers and one car, besides a large number of weapons and other objectionable items," the DGP said.

The police chief said 17 'naam charcha ghars' have been sanitised in district Fatehabad, 13 in Ambala, 10 each in Kurukshetra and Karnal, nine each in Kaithal and Panipat, seven in Yamunanagar, six in Jind, four each in Panchkula and Hisar, three in Bhiwani, two each in Sonepat, Jhajjar, Hansi and Rewari, and one each in Gurugram, Faridabad and Rohtak.
The DGP said one big knife, one sword and 18 'gandasi' (sharp-edged weapon) were recovered from the congregation centres.
Apart from these, 104 sticks, 48 iron rods, 21 bottles of diesel, petrol and kerosene, two grass cutter swords, three axes, five sickles, two saws, two scissors, 2,574 lathis, and 66 pepper sprays were recovered, he said.

To a query, the DGP said several areas in Sirsa, Hisar, Jind, Fatehabad and Hansi where there was presence of Dera followers have been secured.
On the chief minister's comment that some anti-social elements had mixed up with the Dera followers in Panchkula and resorted to violence, the DGP said that the whole episode was being monitored by the high court.
"We have to file the reply in the court. We are verifying each issue... Our top priority is to maintain peace in the state," he said.
The DGP said that details of properties of the Dera was being collected. "The high court has asked for details of the properties and accounts of the Dera," he said.