Nearly 15,000 followers leave Sirsa dera

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Sirsa, August 26

Tension prevailed in curfew-bound Sirsa and neighbouring villages of Nejia, Bajeka and Begu throughout the day today as the presence of around 10,000 persons on the 800-acre Dera Sacha Sauda premises raised apprehensions of violence.

Sources said between 10,000 and 15,000 followers left the dera and moved to their respective homes since last evening. The Army carried out a flag march on the road leading to the dera.

Security agencies today nabbed a person with an AK-47 rifle and two pistols. He claimed that he was a Punjab Police official posted in the security of the dera chief and was returning home. “We are verifying the veracity of his statement from the Punjab Police,” said SP Ashwin Shenvi.

The district authorities cut power supply to the dera and the three villages to ensure that followers still on the dera premises left it before August 28, when the quantum of sentence on the dera chief would be pronounced.

This affected water supply to the area as drinking water was being provided through a borewell. The borewell also supplied water to Preet Nagar, Preet Sagar, Sukh Sagar, Parmarth Colony and Shah Satnam Colony, which had more than 2,000 families.

“Our children are sick, but we cannot take them to hospital. We have no electricity or drinking water,” said Bittu Insan, a dera follower.

Jashan Bansal, municipal councillor, alleged that the authorities were out to persecute residents in the name of action against the dera.

“There have been two deaths in these colonies in the past 24 hours and people are visiting their families. The families have neither electricity nor drinking water in houses,” he said.

DC Prabhjot Singh assured that the authorities would make arrangements to send water to the colonies, but they had no plan to resume electricity supply.

The district authorities announced relaxation in curfew from 6 am to 11 am from tomorrow.

Toll reaches six

Two more deaths were reported in Sirsa on Saturday, taking the toll up to six. The bodies of two youths with bullet injuries were left at the civil hospital. Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Viresh Bhushan said some unidentified persons left the bodies in the mortuary. The deceased were identified as Vinod (25) of Sirsa and Robin (19) of Jind. A total of 62 injured persons were brought to the hospital, of which 17 were police personnel. SP Ashwin Shenvi said 32 police personnel were injured in yesterday’s violence.