Rohtak: After his conviction in a 15-year-old rape case, which triggered violence in Panchkula, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh has been lodged in the Sunheria district jail on the outskirts of Rohtak.
The highway connecting this part of Haryana with the districts of Jind, Bhiwani and Hissar is barricaded.
While the locals find their lives at a standstill, Ram Rahim, despite being a jailed convict, doesn’t seem to be suffering any hardship.
“From arranging a special helicopter to providing an air-conditioned room and helping in using facilities meant for police officers, the Khattar government is extending all help to the lawfully disgraced Dera chief even after his conviction in such a serious crime as rape. This is appalling,” a police source, who saw some of these things happen on Friday and Saturday, told IANS.
A woman, Honeypreet, said to be the Dera Sacha Sauda chief's Adopted daughter, was allowed to accompany him along with bags and suitcases when Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, after being taken into custody was flown in a specially arranged helicopter from the police lines complex in Panchkula.
"A couple of senior officers, who tried to take the Dera Sacha Sauda chief to task and treat him like any other criminal after his conviction, were physically assaulted by his (sect chief's) security. One senior officer was slapped and other one was pushed in the presence of other top officers. The Haryana Police had to detain his bodyguards for some time to take him into custody following the conviction," the police officer said.
The Haryana government and police administration, however, denied the allegations and said the godman was being treated like any other convict.
Though the district administration has said that all is peaceful, there is a clampdown on movement. There a heavy presence of the Border Security Force (BSF), every 2 km. Four to five companies of the BSF are patrolling the area in all, though the state had demanded 10.
With barricades in place, there is no public transport or private vehicle on the highway. The Haryana Police have also barricaded arterial roads so as to check any chance of people collecting. No trucks or tractors with six to seven men are allowed, though locals with ID cards and the press can move around.
Inside Rohtak, the CRPF and the CISF are present, and the Army will carry out a flag march on Saturday evening.
The lives of the district’s residents, most of them farmers, have been interrupted. Section 144, which prevents more than four people collecting in an area, has been imposed, and there are no ATM services as there is no Internet. Shops in the Rohtak town, however, remain open.
Sunheria district, named after the Sunheri village, has been strategically chosen. The surrounding seven to eight villages, with a combined population of 10,000, are Jat dominated, a dominant caste in Haryana. As Ram Rahim’s followers are mostly from socially and economically weaker sections, there is no chance of congregation.
(With IANS inputs)
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