18 ‘naam charcha ghars’ sealed in Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra

Vishal Joshi and
Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, August 26

District administrations of Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra shut down some 18 ‘naam charcha ghars’ on Saturday, as law enforcement agencies cracked down on the cult’s centres a day after 30 people were killed in violence that rocked Panchkula.

Deputy Commissioner Rohtash Singh Kharb said that after sealing gates of the centres: “We have evacuated seven naam charcha ghars from Dera followers and sealed them. I have also asked the concerned SHOs to ensure that no Dera follower or no other person should enter in naam charcha ghars”.

Several hundred Dera followers, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, arrived at Yamunanagar from Panchkula on Friday night.

Police arranged twelve vehicles to have them sent onward.

Some 300 policemen are currently stationed in Panchkula, which remains quiet after the violence.

“The state government has sent 160 under-training cops here from Karnal to assist district police in maintaining law and order situation,” said Kharb.

Police held flag marches in Yamunanagar and Jagadhri on Friday night.

Shops and business establishments remained closed on Saturday. 

Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Sumedha Kataria said security forces had evacuated the dera centres and impounded 5,000 lathis and sharp-edge stones in search operations. The raids have been taped. 

Curfew remains imposed in Kurukshetra.

Activities inside the Dera centres remain suspended indefinitely. 

Some 31 people were killed in violence that followed Dera Sacha Sauda’s chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction in a rape case on Friday.

While most of the deaths were reported in Panchkula, where the court that pronounced the verdict was located, at least three people are believed to have died in Sirsa — the Dera’s headquarters. 

Army, police and paramilitary troopers are currently stationed outside the Dera headquarters in Sirsa to prevent escalation of tension.