Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday directed authorities to withdraw 1,000 police personnel from VVIP security and deploy them to strengthen security in the state, an official said.
A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting presided over by the Chief Minister ahead of the judgment by a Haryana court this week in a rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief.
Prohibitory orders had been imposed and all schools and colleges across the state would be closed on Friday -- the day the verdict will be pronounced, an official spokesperson told IANS here.
He said a complete ban had been issued on carrying of firearms, with orders to shut down the private gun houses selling arms and ammunition, till the situation normalises.
The meeting was attended, among others, by Director General of Police Suresh Arora, Intelligence Director General Dinkar Gupta and Law and Order Director General H.S. Dhillon.
The Centre has sanctioned an additional 10 companies of paramilitary forces to maintain law and order in the state.
A total of 85 central companies, along with thousands of policemen, would maintain a vigil, especially in the vulnerable areas of Moga, Bathinda, Sangrur, Barnala, Patiala and Ludhiana, said the spokesperson.
The Chief Minister has ordered senior officers to personally monitor the situation. The Director General of Police will visit various sensitive districts to review the preparations ahead of the verdict.
Amid intelligence reports of followers of Dera Sacha Sauda, of which Ram Rahim is the chief, stocking petrol and arms at the Dera's Naam Charcha Ghars, the Chief Minister has directed police to crack down on elements trying to disrupt peace and tranquility.
Police have seized five walkie-talkies from suspected sect followers and are trying to identify the various locations suspected to be housing dangerous weapons.
A special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Panchkula adjoining Chandigarh will pronounce its verdict in the rape case against Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Friday. The court has asked the sect chief to appear before the court on the day of verdict.
The case hearing has been going on since 2007.
The sect chief, who has lakhs of followers in Punjab, Haryana and other states, has been accused by a former female follower of raping her more than once inside the sprawling Dera campus on the outskirts of Sirsa town in Haryana, 260 km from Chandigarh.
HARYANA GETS ADDITIONAL FORCE, MAY CALL ARMY
Haryana on Wednesday said it got eight additional companies of paramilitary forces and an additional force of 2,500 security personnel to handle any exigency arising in the wake of a verdict this week in a rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief.
Additional Chief Secretary Ram Niwas said the government would also call the army, if the need arises, and even impose curfew.
Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, the local administration has declared a three-day holiday in all schools in Chandigarh.
Likewise, the Haryana government has decided that all colleges and libraries in Panchkula district would remain closed till August 25.
A Special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Panchkula adjoining Chandigarh will pronounce its verdict in the rape case against Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on August 25. The court has asked the sect chief to appear in the court on the day of verdict.
The case hearing has been going on since 2007.
The sect chief, who has lakhs of followers in Punjab, Haryana, and other states, has been accused by a former female follower of raping her more than once inside the sprawling Dera campus on the outskirts of Sirsa town in Haryana, 260 km from Chandigarh.
Elaborating about the arrangements, Niwas told reporters here that about 2,000 Home Guards have been called to join duty to manage crowds and adequate arrangements have been made to deal with any situation.
Exhorting the sect followers to keep faith in judiciary, he said directions have been issued to all Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to initiate preventive steps according to the intelligence inputs being received.
Replying to a query on converting government buildings as temporary jails, he said this has been conveyed to the Director General of Prisons.
The Additional Chief Secretary said undesirable material has been recovered from some vehicles during police checking in the state.
Preventive arrests would also be made, if required, he said.
PUBLIC FACING INCONVENIENCE
As the Panchkula police have put up barricades and set up check-points on all roads entering Panchkula, residents are facing inconvenience. People who had their cases listed in the Panchkula courts also faced inconvenience.
PANCHKULA SCHOOLS, COLLEGES CLOSED ON AUG 24, 25
Schools and colleges will remain closed on August 24 and 25 in Panchkula in view of the verdict in the case against the dera chief. Government College and two private schools in Sector 1 will remain closed for three days — August 23 to 25 — as the police have barricaded Sector 1.
PVT SCHOOLS TO REMAIN CLOSED FOR 3 DAYS
The Panchkula Public School Association, that has all 25 private schools as its members, has resolved to keep their schools closed from August 23 to August 25 in view of the dera case verdict. A spokesperson for the association, Jivtesh Garg, said the decision was taken for the safety of students.
ALL CHANDIGARH-BOUND HARYANA ROADWAYS BUSES TO TERMINATE AT AMBALA
The transport department has directed Haryana Roadways to terminate all its Chandigarh-bound buses at the Ambala bus stand.
The transport commissioner issued the orders to the general managers of all the districts.
Following this, the local bus stands have made the announcement for the passengers.
The decision has been taken to stop the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda from reaching Chandigarh/Panchkula. Dera followers have been trying to reach Panchkula where the CBI court is expected to deliver a verdict in a rape case against Ram Rahim on August 25.
