Thousands of supporters of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is the head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, went on the rampage, setting fire to vehicles, buildings and railway stations soon after a special CBI court convicted him in a 2002 rape case. Police responded by opening fire. The unrest which began in Panchkula where the verdict was handed down, spread to other parts of Haryana and Punjab and even New Delhi where a bus and train were set on fire.

A Dera Sacha Sauda supporter braves water cannon used by security personnel to disperse a violent mob in Panchkula on August 25, 2017. | Photo Credit: AP

Live updates:

1.05 am: Cong. slams violence, calls for CM’s resignation

The Congress called for the resignation of Haryana Chief Minister M. L. Khattar, with party president Sonia Gandhi expressing grave concerns over the violence in the State. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi stressed that violence and brutality had no place in society. “@PMOIndia must put the interest and safety of Indians before his party’s interests. @mlkhattar must resign,” the party said on Twitter. (PTI)

1.02 am: Smriti warns media against creating ‘panic’

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani through a tweet on Friday night warned television channels against creating ‘panic’ and ‘undue fear’ even as the unrest continued in Haryana and Punjab. Minutes after her stern message, she tweeted, “Attack on media, damage to property condemnable. Appeal to all to maintain peace.”

(26/08/2017) 01.00 am: Khattar admits to lapses in handling of situation

Under fire over the handling of the situation arising out of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday admitted that there were lapses but asserted appropriate action was being taken. Mr. Khattar ducked a question on how thousands of Dera followers managed to reach Panchkula despite Section 144 being imposed much earlier. Mr. Khattar also said the government would assess the damage. (PTI)

11.00 pm: Law & Order situation in U.P. until 10 p.m. on Friday: Section 144 has been imposed in 9 districts — Meerut, Saharanpur, Samli, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Noida, Bulandshahar, Baghpat and Hapur. The Law and Order situation is under control.

Law & Order situation in Rajasthan until 10 p.m. on Friday: As per information from the DGP office in Jaipur, Section 144 has been imposed in Hanumangarh District. Three to four unidentified persons have set the Bohra railway station’s Station Master’s Office on fire, in PS Simliya, Kota Gramin district. The Law and Order situation is under control.

9.55 pm: Curfew in 10 Punjab districts: According to information from the DGP office in Punjab, there is no report of death or injury in the region. Curfew has been imposed in 10 districts — Mansa, Bhatinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Malout (SMS), Fazilka, Patiyala, Barnala, Faridpur and Sangrur. Law and Order Situation is under control.

PTI adds:

CM appeals for peace

The Army was called out and curfew was imposed in 10 districts of Punjab’s Malwa region, home to a large number of Dera Sacha Sauda followers, as violence spread to the State.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who was personally monitoring the situation, appealed to the people to remain calm and not to take the law in their hands. The Chief Minister spoke to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley to apprise them of the situation. He also spoke to Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the situation in Punjab and informed her of the steps taken by his government to maintain peace in the state.

Police have launched a major crackdown and arrested some supporters of the Dera Sacha Sauda, including a member of its State-level committee, an official spokesperson said.

The Chief Minister said the decision to call out the Army was taken to prevent any loss of life or damage to public/ private property in the 10 districts. “The Army was staging flag-march in the curfew-bound areas of Punjab to restore the confidence of the people,” he said.

Army sources in Delhi said six columns of Army personnel were deployed in Panchkula and two columns in Sirsa in Haryana. They said one column of Army personnel was deployed in Punjab’s Mansa and another column in Mukhtsar in the State.

9.48 pm: Saddened by the loss of lives in violence, says Vice President Venkaiah Naidu. "Deep condolences to the bereaved families and wish the injured a speedy recovery," he added.

8.52 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi "strongly condemns" the violence.

He tweets "The instances of violence today are deeply distressing. I strongly condemn the violence & urge everyone to maintain peace. The law & order situation is being closely monitored. I reviewed the situation with the NSA & Home Secretary. Urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required."

8.40 pm: “Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been put in [special jail at] PTC Sunaria,” Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Atul Kumar told PTI, adding, tight security arrangements have been made.

8.34 pm: The Superintendent of Police of Ghaziabad city in Uttar Pradesh said that the situation there is "100% normal."

"No incident related to Dera Sacha Sauda case in Ghaziabad city. One isolated incident in an empty bus in Loni Border police station. Teams have been formed to nab the accused. Force is deployed at Ashram, imp installations like metro stations, malls, bus and train stations and all officials from SSP onwards are on rounds and conducting flag marches," the SP said. "Please help in countering rumours," he added.

8.07 pm: According to hospital officials, the current death toll in Panchkula is 30. About 250 people have been injured.

Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Cr.P.C. have been imposed in Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts of northern Rajasthan.

7.40 pm: President Ram Nath Kovind condemns the violence and damage to public property and appeals to all citizens to maintain peace. (PTI)

7.35 pm: Railways says all trains to Rohtak in Haryana have been cancelled. (PTI)

7.30 pm: Haryana DGP B.S. Sandhu, after visiting the civil hospital at Sector 6 in Panchkula, says over a thousand Dera followers have been taken into custody. “Dera followers have been flushed out of Panchkula while over a thousand have been taken into preventive custody,” Sandhu says, adding the situation is under control.

7.15 pm: The death toll has gone up to 28 and about 250 have been injured, PTI reports quoting officials. “Seventeen people are dead and at least 200 are injured,” says Vivek Bhadu, Chief Medical Officer at the civil hospital in Panchkula. Another seven deaths were recorded at PGIMER hospital in Chandigarh and four at Government Medical College in Chandigarh, officials say. Dr. Bhadu says that most of the deaths were due to bullet injuries.

7 pm: Dera Sacha Sauda terms verdict against chief "unjust", says it would appeal against it.

6.58 pm: Delhi administration moves in to contain violence. Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal directs police commissioner to take effective measures to ensure protection of life, property. CISF DG O.P. Singh says Delhi Metro stations alerted and vigil has been intensified at stations along U.P., Haryana borders.

6.50 pm: Death toll from the violence rises to 17, reports PTI quoting a Haryana govt. official.

6.45 pm: One dead and five injured in clash with the police in Sirsa. The deceased is a Dera follower, officials said. Army called out in Sirsa.

Dera Sacha Sauda supporters pelt stones at security personnel in violence following the conviction of sect leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, in Sirsa on August 25, 2017. | Photo Credit: PTI

6.40 pm: Union Home Ministry official says the Ministry is checking reports of cases of self-immolation.

6.35 pm: Punjab and Haryana HC orders recovery of losses caused due to violence from Dera Sacha Sauda.

6.30 pm: Home Minister Rajnath Singh says he spoke to Haryana CM M.L. Khattar and Punjab CM Amarinder Singh. The CMs, he said, told him that they took adequate precautions to contain the violence. “Haryana and Punjab CMs have not sought more forces, they said they had taken adequate precautions," Mr. Singh said. He also said that no loss of human life and destruction of public property can compensated at any cost. Read more.

6:15 pm: The Home Ministry has said 13 people have lost their lives to the violence. Ten bodies are kept at PGI Chandigarh, while three are at GMCH, Chandigarh, says Union Home Secretary, Rajiv Mehrishi.

6:00 pm: All India Radio says Patiala and Fazilka under curfew.

5.44 pm: Violence reaches Delhi with at least seven incidents of violence reported in the past couple of hours. Major among them was the torching of a train stationed at the railway yard at Anand Vihar railway station. Couple of bogies were set afire. Another major incident was a group of unidentified men burning a bus near Loni roundabout.

A firefighter inspects the charred interiors of a vandalised train coach in New Delhi on August 25, 2017. | Photo Credit: AP

5.43 pm: The death toll in Panchkula violence rises to 12, says CMO civil hospital.

5.42 pm: The Dera Sacha Sauda's headquarters is 15 kilometers away from Sirsa. Violence is slowly spreading to the city, while police has resorted to firing in air. A paper mill, milk plant, and a power sub-station have been attacked in Begu village, near Sirsa.

5.40 pm: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal urges people to maintain peace after the violence. Rajvardhan Singh Rathore says mobs attacking people, property and media personnel is highly reprehensible. - PTI

5.30 pm: Reports of violence by Dera followers are coming from Delhi as well. A bus was torched in northeast Delhi's Loni Chowk, police said. Television channels showed coaches of Rewa Express set afire at Delhi's Anand Vihar station.

5.25 pm: Home Minister Rajnath Singh likely to brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the ongoing violence in Punjab/Haryana.

5.15 pm: Ram Rahim Singh supporters set afire Malout and Balluanna railway stations in Punjab, says Nothern Railway. “Two stations have been affected and we are still getting inputs on the extent of damage. No injuries have been reported so far,” Northern Railway spokesperson Neeraj Sharma told PTI. The Northern Railway had cancelled 211 trains to and from Haryana since August 23 up to August 27.

5 pm: PTI quotes a news channel’s reporter that a steady stream of ambulances was bringing scores of injured people to the hospital, soaked in blood. The reporter described the scene as “chaos.” It was not clear if the injuries were due to police action or violence by Dera followers.

A Dera Sacha Sauda follower lies dead in violence that broke out in Panchkula after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction on August 25, 2017. | Photo Credit: Akhilesh Kumar

4.55 pm: As violence continues in Panchkula, five bodies arrive at government hospital in Panchkula. Several vehicles and buildings set ablaze.

4:40 pm: Home Minister Rajnath Singh reaches North Block after landing from Kyrgyzstan to assess situation in Haryana. Mr. Singh spoke to the Chief Ministers of Haryana and Punjab, asking them about the situation and assured them assistance, if required.

Smoke billows after supporters of the Dera Sacha Sauda set vehicles on fire near in Panchkula on August 25, 2017. | Photo Credit: AP

4:30 pm: All trains to and from Jammu were suspended on Friday over security concerns ahead of a CBI court’s verdict in a rape case involving Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Haryana, reports IANS.

A railway official said here: “Due to the law and order situation in the neighbouring states, it has been decided to suspend rail services for the day.”

4:25 pm: Ram Rahim followers went berserk and damaged OB vans of a private TV channel. Police lobbed tear gas shells, used water canons and batons in an attempt to bring the situation under control.

Dera Sacha Sauda supporters overturn an outdoor broadcast van on the streets of Panchkula on August 25, 2017. | Photo Credit: AP

Dera Sacha Sauda supporters attack a member of the media (foreground wearing a blue dark t-shirt) in Panchkula on August 25, 2017. | Photo Credit: AP

4:15 pm: Home Ministry says they have sent 167 companies of central forces as per request of Haryana government.

Alert has been sounded in all adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh to ensure no spill over of trouble.

4:05 pm: Reports of violence are coming from Mansa district of Punjab as well. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has appealed for calm.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, too, has appealed to the people of the State to maintain peace and not to take the law into their own hands. “Strict action will be taken against those who disturb the peace,” he warned.

4 pm: Local administration imposes curfew in Panchkula as situation turns violent, Home Secretary Ram Niwas says.

3:55 pm: Situation in Panchkula remains tense after Dera followers start pelting stones at vehicles. As the followers turned violent, security forces use tear gas and lathicharge to disperse crowd in Panchkula.

3.40 pm: Ram Rahim Singh is likely to be taken to Rohtak after his conviction. The Police Training College rest house in Sunaria near Rohtak has been declared special jail. Singh is likely to be lodged there.

Nahar Singh Cricket Stadium in Faridabad and Pundrak Sports Stadium in Karnal district have also been designated as "special jail."

3.05 pm: CBI court finds Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty. Quantum of sentencing will be announced on August 28.

2:30 pm: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar says irrespective of the verdict, the State government is fully prepared to deal with any situation.

2:10 pm: Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is not new to the controversies. Besides the rape case, Mr. Singh also faces allegations of two murders, including that of a journalist, and had also courted controversy for dressing up as Guru Gobind Singh in 2007 leading to widespread protests in Punjab.

1.30 pm: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh reaches Panchkula

12.55 pm: Punjab and Haryana High Court says administration should not hesitate to use force and weapons to maintain law and order.

12.30 pm: Prevailing tension in Panchkula eases a bit as few of the Dera Sacha Sauda followers start leaving the city after an appeal to return was made by Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh through a video. The security across the city though remains tight.

12.25 pm: Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed administration to ensure that situation stays in control, our correspondent Vikas Vasudeva reports from Panchkula.

The HC says police should not hesitate in filing FIRs against politicians or anyone else who get involved in creating law and order problem.

The bench will again sit at 3:30 PM to hear the case.

12:15 pm: Even as Ram Rahim had appealed to his followers to leave Panchkula, tens of thousands of followers are still staying put, waiting for the Dera chief, who is on his way to Panchkula to appear before special CBI court.

11.40 am: Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's cavalcade has reportedly reached Kaithal, where his followers have stopped him from moving further.

11.30 am: Panchkula has virtually come to a standstill as security has been beefed up to maximum level, reports our correspondent Vikas Vasudeva from Panchkula. 25 columns of Army have reached Panchkula and would be pressed in case situation arises.

"How come despite section 144 order such a huge number of followers are on the roads? Both Haryana and Union government has taken a sympathetic view and is facilitating such a congregation," says Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury on Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

10.30 am: Army columns moved into Panchkula early on Friday as scores of Dera Sacha Sauda followers gathered in the town, reports PTI.

The Haryana Police assisted by central forces was involved in an operation to flush out scores of Dera followers even as 50-year-old Singh made a video appeal to his followers to return home.

“At the sect headquarters at Sirsa, police and paramilitary forces took out a flag march past midnight to enforce the curfew clamped at 10 PM (yesterday) for an indefinite period,” Sirsa SP Ashwin Shenvi said.

10.20 am: Intelligence inputs have suggested that the Delhi police keep an eye on an estimated 20,000 supporters of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim spread across close to a dozen locations in the Capital.

“A report on the subject has been shared with top Delhi police officials in addition to senior representatives of the Punjab and Haryana police; Mr. Rahim enjoys much support across several pockets located in Delhi as well as along its borders,” said an intelligence official.

10.10 am: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has slammed the Haryana government for allowing Dera followers to enter Panchkula in large numbers despite prohibitory orders being clamped, questioning why Section 144 had not been imposed strictly.

An estimated over one lakh Dera followers including men, women and children have gathered in Panchkula, reports PTI. UT Chandigah police has warned of taking stern action against Dera followers if they make an attempt to enter Chandigarh.

10.00 am: Authorities tell PTI that they have sealed the road leading to the district court complex in Panchkula and nobody was being allowed on that route.

“We will not move out from Panchkula till the time we have pitaji’s (Ram Rahim) ‘darshan’ We will wait till the court verdict,” said an aged follower who had come from Bathinda in Punjab.

The Dera head is expected to reach Panchkula in the afternoon to remain present in the court before the verdict.

9.45 am: Shops, ATMs, cinema halls, petrol pumps, located near the Dera headquarters in Sirsa are closed, reports PTI.

Security personnel are keeping a strict vigil by erecting barricades on several places and are not allowing any vehicular movement towards the sect headquarters at Sirsa in Haryana.

A petrol pump around 300 metres from the Dera has been closed to avoid any untoward incident. Similarly, the shutters of several ATMs have been pulled down in the area.

9.30 am: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh leaves for Panchkula where CBI court is set to deliver its verdict in rape case against him. The 50-year-old Dera head left the sect-headquarters at Sirsa, about 260 km from Chandigarh amid tight security.

“He has left Sirsa by road,” Sirsa Deputy Commissioner, Prabhjot Singh told PTI over phone.

The Dera chief, who enjoys ‘Z’ category security, is also being accompanied a number of his own security guards in a cavalcade.

It will take him around three hours to reach the court, a police official said.

9.15 am: Trains cancelled

In view of the situation, the Ministry of Railways decided to cancel several trains passing through Punjab and Haryana. An Indian Railways order said in wake of likely disturbance in law and order, a list of sensitive railway stations and sections have been identified.

The Haryana government has also set up a State riot control centre at the police headquarters in sector-6, Panchkula, which will be operational round-the-clock.

9.00 am: Dera chief appeals to followers to leave Panchkula

Ahead of the verdict in the alleged rape case against him, the Sirsa based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim has appealed to his followers to leave Panchkula and return to their homes.

"I request all my followers who are in Panchkula to return to their homes and ensure that peace is maintained," Mr. Singh said through a video on Thursday night. "I'll appear in the court and myself hear the decision," he added.

8.30 am: The Home Department of Chandigarh UT has declared the cricket stadium in sector 16 a "temporary jail", to be used to confine people suspected of creating law and order problem.

Section 144 [which bars gathering of more than 4 persons at a place] has been imposed in all districts of Haryana, while the State government has requested the Centre to provide 115 companies of paramilitary forces.

8.15 am: While the CBI decided on August 25 as the day of judgement, there had been speculation over Ram Rahim's attending the proceedings. On Thursday, he put an end to the speculation, saying he would appear before the court despite a backache.

A tweet from the official handle of Gurmeet Ram Rahim said that ''we have always respected the law. Even though I am having a back ache, yet abiding by the law I'll go to the court.''

8.00 am: Security forces could be in for a tough day in case there is an adverse ruling. The police have barricaded many points in Panchkula to restrict entry of vehicles. However, large numbers of followers were seen walking in groups to reach their destination.

Several of them could be seen sitting and lying on the roadside around the Zirakpur-Kalka highway besides the city roads as well. Many followers have erected tents while some have taken shelter in parks.

7.30 am: Deputy Commissioner, Sirsa, Prabhjot Singh, announced imposition of curfew in parts of city falling under the jurisdiction of City police station and three villages namely Bajekan, Nejakhera and Shahpur Begu after 10 p.m on Thursday.

7.15 am: Several shops on the road leading to the Dera have been closed fearing backlash. “Though there are no directions from the administration, most of the shopkeepers chose to keep the shutters down anticipating danger. It could be almost a curfew like situation tomorrow [on Friday] morning,” said Vijay Sharma, an ice-cream vendor on Thursday.

7.00 am: On Thursday, with less than 24 hours to go for the verdict, Dera followers, including women, children and the elderly, trickled into its headquarters at Sirsa in groups all through the day.

The followers, known as Premis , could be seen on both sides of over a one-km-long stretch outside the Dera headquarters in the evening, sitting in the open in small groups discussing the possible outcome of the judgment on Friday.

(With inputs from agencies)</s>Shortly after a special CBI court convicted Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of rape in a 2002 case, more than 50 private and government vehicles were torched in Panchkula on Friday as police fired several rounds of tear gas to quell the protesting supporters of the self-styled godman. Ram Rahim Singh was accused of raping two ‘sadhvis’ (female followers), in 2002 and the case came to trial in 2008. He has denied all charges against him. The court complex, where the verdict was announced, was protected by three layers of security, with 150 personnel of Haryana Police and paramilitary forces guarding it over a radius of 200 meters. Meanwhile, a curfew has been imposed in Punjab’s Bathinda, Mansa, Ferozepur, Muktsar, Malout, Budhlada.

Tune in for LIVE updates here

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh convicted in rape case: Here are the top developments

1. More than 50 private and government vehicles torched in Panchkula. Several injured… Gunshots being fired.

2. Agitated mob barge into the government buildings in Sector 2 and 5 of Panchkula, vandalise the buildings, trying to set them on fire.

4. 10 injured in violent protests, shifted to a hospital in Sector 6 Panchkula, reports ANI.

6. Quantum of sentence to be announced on August 28.

7. Army vehicles entered the court complex shortly after the verdict was pronounced.

Also Read: Twice bitten, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar is not third-time shy

8. Dera Sacha Sauda chief taken into custody by Haryana police after being convicted in rape case.

9. Ram Rahim Singh will likely be taken to Ambala jail. Meanwhile, Dera followers are gathered at one spot and are observing silence after the verdict.

10. Violence expected in many parts of Haryana, including in Panchkula

11. CBI counsel says Ram Rahim Singh held guilty on charges of rape (Section 376 IPC) and criminal intimidation (section 506 IPC).

14. Everything is perfectly under control, let us not sensationalize unnecessarily: IGP Amitabh Singh Dhillon

18. I appeal to all Punjabis to maintain peace & harmony in state. Won’t allow anyone to disturb peace & tranquility: Punjab CM

19. Malout Railway Station & petrol pump set on fire by protesters in Punjab post Ram Rahim verdict, similar incidents also reported in Bathinda, reports ANI.

20. Police lob teargas shells and fire in the air to control restive Dera supporters after court verdict.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App</s>The protests in Haryana have spilled into the national capital New Delhi with a train getting torched in Anand Vihar by the supporters of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The self-styled godman was found guilty today in a fifteen-year-old rape case against him. Violence erupted in parts of Haryana and Punjab soon after the verdict was announced during the day, with supporters burning vehicles and attacking the police.

The supporters also attacked the media present in Panchkula to cover the court verdict. In fact, India Today camera person was injured after the supporters attacked the car the reporting team was travelling in.

Even as the authorities struggle to take control of the situation in Haryana and Punjab, the protests are now spreading in Delhi. A bus was torched in northeast Delhi's Loni Chowk and train was set ablaze in Anand Vihar. According to TV reports, violence has been reported in seven places in Delhi, including Mangolpuri, Khyala, GTB Nagar Bypass and Anand Vihar.

The situation is particularly tense in Delhi-Haryana border areas such as Anand Vihar, Shahdara, Faridabad, Ghaziabad. The police and security forces in Delhi are on high alert to prevent any instances of violence if Dera supporters take to the streets. Dera Sacha Sauda has a strong following in Haryana and Punjab, but it has a significant presence in Delhi too.</s>Mobs rampaged across a north Indian town on Friday, leaving 13 people dead and buildings in flames, after a court declared a quasi-religious sect leader guilty of raping two of his followers, authorities said.

Police used water cannon in an attempt to disperse the crowd in the town of Panchkula, and a spokesman for the guru's sect urged his supporters to remain calm.

The violence so far had left 13 dead, including some with bullet wounds, and more than 100 injured, according to Dr. V.K. Bansal, chief medical officer at the state-run Panchkula Civil Hospital.

More than 15,000 paramilitary troops and police officers, some on horseback, were deployed in Panchkula.

Mobs set fire to government buildings, and attacked police and TV journalists, smashing the windshields of media vans and breaking broadcast equipment. Police initially used tear gas and water cannons, and then fired bullets in the air in an attempt to control the surging mobs as they vandalized bus stations and government vehicles.

A curfew was imposed in at least four districts of Punjab, said Amrinder Singh, the state chief minister.

The special court had announced the guilty verdict Friday after hearing closing arguments in the 15-year-old case against the guru, who calls himself Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insaan.

Ram Rahim Singh - who had denied the charges of raping the two women at his ashram in 2002 - was taken into custody and would be housed in a jailhouse in the nearby town of Rohtak in Haryana state until his Aug. 28 sentencing hearing, prosecutor H.P.S. Verma said.

Panchkula administrators had feared that a guilty verdict would trigger violence among the tens of thousands of followers who had camped overnight awaiting the verdict.

Violence also broke out in several places across the neighboring states of Haryana and Punjab, police said. Railway stations in the towns of Malout and Balluana were ablaze, and two coaches of an empty train parked in New Delhi's Anand Vihar station were also set on fire.

A spokesman for the Dera Sacha Sauda appealed for calm while the sect explored legal ways to pursue justice for the guru.

"I just want to request everyone to maintain peace at the moment," said Dilawar Insan. "We will explore what legal options are available to us."

Police were also on alert across the Indian capital, and had contained several small outbreaks of violence in New Delhi, according to a police control room officer who spoke condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with media.

Angry mobs also attacked police in the town of Sirsa, where the guru's ashram is located, according to a local police control room.

The guru's Dera Sacha Sauda sect claims to have some 50 million followers and campaigns for vegetarianism and against drug addiction. It has also taken up social causes such as organizing the weddings of poor couples.

Such sects have huge followings in India. It's not unusual for leaders to have small, heavily armed private militias protecting them.

When the guru left his ashram in Sirsa early Friday for the hearing, he was accompanied by a convoy of more than 180 vehicles, said the Punjab chief minister, Singh.

Police had erected heavy metal barricades topped with barbed wire along main roads in the town, a quiet residential suburb of Chandigarh, which is the common capital of Haryana and Punjab states.

"Why did the Haryana administration allow so many people to gather in Panchkula?" said Singh, the state's highest elected official and a member of the nation's main opposition Congress Party, in an apparent dig against the state's governing Bharatiya Janata Party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"It is impossible to control such a large hysterical mob."

Before the verdict was read, Haryana police official B.S. Sandhu had said that army soldiers would march through the streets, but it was not immediately clear if they would carry out that plan.

Authorities ordered Internet and cellphone services shut down across both Haryana and Punjab as a security precaution.

Train services were canceled through the area, leading to railway delays across north India. Schools and colleges were closed.

The case was tried in a special court run by India's top agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Such cases have prompted public violence in the past.

Clashes in 2007 between the Dera Sacha Sauda followers and members of the Sikh faith left at least three people dead in north India.

In 2014, six people were killed when followers of another religious leader, guru Rampal, fought pitched battles with police who were attempting to arrest him for contempt of court after he repeatedly failed to appear in court in connection with a murder trial.

In a televised appeal on Thursday, Ram Rahim Singh had asked his supporters not to resort to violence, but some said they would not tolerate a verdict that went against their leader.

"I consider guru-ji to be only next to God," farmer Malkit Singh said as he squatted on the ground in a Panchkula park, saying Ram Rahim Singh had cured him of a decadelong addiction to drugs.

"There is a God above," he said. "Our guru-ji follows the path of truth."</s>New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefed on Friday about the situation in Haryana and Punjab as violence erupted in both states after a court in Panchkula convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.

Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain met the prime minister and briefed them about the prevailing situation in both states, an official told IANS.

Before the prime minister was briefed, Union home minister Rajnath Singh held meetings with top officials, including Mehrishi and Jain, to review the situation.

At least 12 people were killed in firing by security forces as enraged supporters of Dera Sacha Sauda chief went on a rampage after the verdict.

To see live updates on this story, click here.</s>New Delhi: The Centre on Friday night asked the Haryana government to provide adequate security to the CBI special court judge who convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.

The Home Ministry told the Haryana government that Judge Jagdeep Singh should be provided highest level of security in view of the threat perception after he delivered the verdict against the Dera head, an official said.

The Ministry will analyse intelligence inputs before deciding whether the Judge's security needs to be handled by a central force, such as the CRPF or CISF, he added, as per PTI.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar admitted today that there were lapses in handling the situation in the state but asserted appropriate action was being taken.

Facing a volley of questions from reporters on the violence, he said the "lapses have been identified and we are taking appropriate steps".

This should not have happened," he added.

"Some people have lost lives and vehicles have been set on fire while government property too has been damaged. Some OB vans of the media have also been damaged by the mob," Khattar said.

"All those who have taken law into their hands will be punished. We have identified some culprits including those who fired (from the mob at security forces), some of whom have been nabbed and action will be taken against them," he said.

The government will assess the damage, he further said.

Asked how thousands of Dera followers managed to reach Panchkula and was his government prepared for this, Khattar said, "We were prepared to deal with the situation. Since it was a very big mob."

Khattar ducked a question on how thousands of Dera followers managed to reach Panchkula despite Section 144 being imposed much earlier.

When repeatedly asked how the followers managed to reach in such big numbers and whether it was a failure of his government, he replied, "When such issue comes where you are dealing with followers in such numbers... We tried to stop them.

Thousands of followers of Ram Rahim went on the rampage, setting fire to vehicles, buildings and railway stations soon after a special CBI court convicted him in the 2002 rape case.

Police responded by opening fire. They fired in the air and lobbed tear gas shells on sections of the crowds, many of them camping since last night on the streets of Panchkula.

The unrest which began in Panchkula where the verdict was handed down, spread to other parts of Haryana and Punjab and even New Delhi where a bus and train were set on fire.

Curfew was also imposed in place in Sirsa while Kaithal town was also brought under curfew this evening.

Sirsa is the headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda of which Ram Rahim, 50, is its chief.

Six columns of Army, comprising a total of 500 to 600 soldiers were deployed in Panchkula.

CBI judge Jagdeep Singh, while holding the Dera chief guilty of raping a female follower, said the quantum of sentence would be pronounced on August 28.

The punishment can be a jail term of not less than seven years but may even extend to life imprisonment.</s>An Indian spiritual leader has been convicted of rape by a court in the northern city of Panchkula, raising fears of unrest after tens of thousands of his followers descended on the city.



The Indian army has been on standby in Punjab and Haryana, surveillance drones are circling, and schools and roads have been shut in Panchkula, over fears that supporters of Ram Rahim Singh may turn violent.

Singh, a flamboyant “godman” nicknamed the “guru of bling”, will be sentenced on Monday, the court said.

The guru, considered one of the most powerful men in India, runs the 69-year-old sect from its ashram headquarters on a sprawling, 1,000-acre Haryana property that boasts its own hotel, cinema, cricket stadium and schools.

Singh, who claims to have 60 million followers around the world, has been accused by India’s elite Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of sexually assaulting two female former members of the sect.

The rape allegations, which Singh denies, first surfaced in an anonymous letter sent to the Indian prime minister in 2002. Scrutiny of the ashram grew when a journalist investigating Dera Sacha Sauda was shot dead the same year.

The CBI alleges Singh was involved in murdering the journalist after suspecting he was responsible for helping to circulate the anonymous letter, according to the Hindustan Times. He is facing a separate, ongoing trial in that case and denies the charges.

Gurus are enlightening influences in the lives of many Indians, guiding decisions both sacred and mundane, but few have the following of Singh nor his political clout.



About 7,000 police officers were stationed in Panchkula ahead of the verdict, and mobile internet services were suspended. Hundreds of hospital beds have been reserved for possible casualties while, in the nearby city of Chandigarh, a cricket stadium has been prepared as a temporary jail, according to New Delhi Television.

In neighbouring Punjab, which shares its capital Chandigarh with Haryana, hundreds of train services have been cancelled while firearms and gatherings have been temporarily banned.

The US embassy in Delhi has also put out a travel advisory urging its citizens in India to be wary of possible unrest in the wake of the verdict.</s>Everything We Know About Ram Rahim Singh – The God-Like Indian ‘Bling’ Guru Accused Of Rape

One of India’s most powerful, with a “god-like status”, is due to appear in court in the north of the country, where over 200 000 devotees have flocked to get a glimpse of him.

As a result, large parts of the Indian states Punjab and Haryana have been placed in lockdown with mobile internet services suspended, reports BBC.

Even schools and offices in the area have been closed, with trains halted, roads blocked and three stadiums set aside as makeshift prisons in case of trouble, officials said.

Damn, so who is this dude? Let’s take a look…

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, 50, is the head of the spiritual sect Dera Sacha Sauda, which was established by Mastaa Balochistani on April 29, 1948.

The sect’s headquarter is in the Sirsa district of Haryana and has over 46 ashrams spread all across India.

On Twitter, Ram Rahim describes himself as:

He has worked as an actor, director, music composer and writer on several films – including the highly successful “MSG: The Messenger trilogy” – and currently holds the record for performing most roles and responsibilities in a single film (43 roles and responsibilities in MSG 2).

While he “wields considerable political influence and claims to have tens of millions of followers worldwide”, Ram Rahim also has a dark side.

Since 2002, Ram Rahim has become the subject of several controversies, explains Indian Express:

The Dera chief was named in the murder of a journalist murder case dating back to 2002 and the forced castration of some sadhus (holy men) in 2015. In 2002, an anonymous letter to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, alleged that the sect had sexually exploited two “sadhvis” (holy women) and a case of sexual exploitation was registered against him. It was also alleged that Ram Rahim warned her not to talk about the incident, threatening her with his political influences in the state.

Now, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Panchkula is set to announce the verdict in the case on this afternoon.

I wonder if he is as guilty as the Bikram founder, or if this is just some form of jealousy.

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Also, Like us on facebook</s>After reports of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh being given special treatment surfaced, Director General of Police (DG) Prisons, on Saturday, in a clarification, said the former is being treated as a normal prisoner.

Speaking to ANI, DG Prisons in Panchkula Dr KP Singh said he will request all media houses to not air or publish incorrect news about such incidents.

“The dera chief has been locked up in District Jail, Sonaria at Rohtak and is being treated like a normal prisoner according to the Haryana jail manual,” Singh further said.

Clarifying on reports of proving Ram Rahim Singh with ‘luxurious’ items, KP Singh said no RO system or attendants have been provided to him, as it was said in media reports.

Adding, “There is no air conditioner in the cell where he is locked and is also kept under the surveillance of two prisoners as per the jail manual.”

At least 29 people were killed and more than 200 were injured in violence in Haryana’s Panchkula city after a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court convicted Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in connection with his alleged involvement in a 2002 rape case.

Even as the court announced that the quantum of sentence against the self-proclaimed god man will be pronounced on August 28, his supporters who had gathered outside the Panchkula court premises; went on a raging rampage, damaging vehicles (cars and buses), pulling down security barriers, attacking media persons, OB vans and public property.</s>Chandigarh: Thirty two persons lost their lives in Haryana after Dera Sacha Sauda followers went on rampage following the conviction of their sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Chandigarh in rape case, the Punjab and Haryana high court was informed on Saturday.

Baldev Raj Mahajan, advocate general, Haryana, submitted in the court that there were 32 casualties in the state, of which 28 were in Panchkula alone. He said that one of the 28 dead had been identified while the remaining were still unidentified.

As many as 524 persons were arrested in Panchkula, 24 vehicles seized, five pistols with 79 rounds and two rifles with 52 rounds were recovered, he said. Iron rods, ‘dandas’ (staffs), hockey sticks and ten petrol bombs were also recovered, he added.

“Eight FIRs have been registered in Panchkula,” Mahajan informed the court. A special hearing was held in the high court in Panchkula on Saturday for monitoring the law and order situation in the region and other related issues following the violence which broke out on Friday after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief by a CBI court.

The high court bench has been during the past few days hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a Panchkula resident, who raised law and order concerns stating that over 1.5 lakh people had entered the district despite prohibitory orders.

Atul Nanda, advocate general, Punjab, submitted the status report with regard to law and order situation in Punjab. The report mentioned that there have been as many as 51 incidents in Punjab and 39 FIRs were registered.

Besides, 19 miscreants have been arrested including Gurdev Singh, a state level office bearer of Dera Sacha Sauda. There has been no casualty although there has been damage to public and private property for which assessment would be carried out, Nanda said.
Riots erupt in Panchkula and later spread to other parts of the Northern Indian state of Haryana, as well as the state of Punjab and the Indian capital of New Delhi, after a special CBI court found the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty of rape. At least 28 people have been killed and 250 others injured.