Police remain on alert in district

Bathinda, Janaury 17

The police remained on the alert in the district on Thursday due to the pronouncement of sentence on the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and other two accused convicted in the murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati by the CBI court in Panchkula.

Huge police force was deployed outside the railway station and bus stand in the city. The police also kept a tab on the activities of dera followers in the district.

The police seemed to be in mood to take any chances as in August 2015, when Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted in a rape case at Panchkula, many incidents of violence were reported.

Dera Sacha Sauda has a huge presence in the region and the state headquarters of the sect is located in Salabatpura in Rampura area.

Moreover, Bathinda is close to Haryana, where the Dera is located. Even in 2007, Sikh-Dera followers clash was witnessed in Bathinda.

Security was beefed up even on January 11 when the verdict was to be announced in the case.

Apart from this, the police also intensified patrolling and installed barricades in rural areas. Bathinda SSP Dr Nanak Singh confirmed that security had been intensified in the district in view of announcement of sentence to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and other two accused. — TNS