Premis resent checking of vehicles

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 22

Senior IAS officer V. Umashankar, who was appointed to assist the Sirsa district administration, today visited the Dera Sacha Sauda to open channels of communication. However, he had to return empty-handed as dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh did not give him an appointment.

Sources said Umashankar’s meeting with Ram Rahim Singh had now been fixed for Thursday.

The Tribune has learnt that Umashankar met Dera Sacha Sauda chairperson Vipasna Insan and senior vice-chairman Dr Prithvi Raj Nain.

Sources said that members of the dera management raised the issue of security checking of vehicles carrying their followers and Naam Charcha Ghars. Umashankar is learnt to have assured them that no dera follower will be harassed but security checking will continue.

Meanwhile, the state government today shifted HCS officer Paramjit Singh, who has a long experience of dealing with dera-related issues, as the SDM, Sirsa.