At least 30 people were killed and 250 injured in Panchkula and other parts of Haryana on Friday after supporters of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect went on the rampage as news broke that their chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had been convicted of rape by a CBI special court.
All hell broke loose after Ram Rahim’s followers pelted stones on security forces and set ablaze several parked vehicles and public property. They also damaged OB vans belonging to TV channels and attacked members of the public. Security personnel fired teargas shells, used water cannons and batons and opened fire in an attempt to bring the situation under control. The Army has taken over in Panchkula, and over 600 personnel have been deployed across the city.
Earlier tens of thousands of the godman’s supporters had converged on Panchkula in anticipation of the court verdict over the past few days, leading to widespread apprehension of trouble and violence. Ram Rahim, who drove from his Sirsa headquarters to Panchkula in the morning, was taken into custody immediately after the verdict.
