No Entry For Ram Rahim's Followers In Rohtak Ahead of Sentencing: Police

Rohtak: There is multi-layered security around the jail in Haryana's Rohtak where self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been kept after his conviction and arrest in a 2002 rape case. The 50-year-old chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect will be sentenced on Monday, with court proceedings to be held at the prison. His followers are being prevented from reaching Rohtak, the police said.

Border Security Force (BSF) and Haryana police personnel are stationed around the Sanoria jail, which is 10 km from Rohtak city, and on the roads leading up to it. Top Rohtak police officer Navdeep Singh Virk, told NDTV that a total 28 paramilitary companies have been requested for security in the city ahead of Ram Rahim's sentencing and 23 have already been stationed; 5 are on their way. He asserted that the Haryana Police does not see the need for Army assistance.

The district administration has however has sought the help of the Army, which is on standby.
 The Army was called in on Friday to regain control after Dera followers turned violent in the state's Panchkula, where Ram Rahim was found guilty by a special CBI court of raping two women followers. 36 people have died and over 250 were injured in the violence that broke out immediately after the verdict.

Over a lakh of Ram Rahim's followers had converged in Panchkula ahead of Friday's verdict. Mr Virk said that there are no reports yet of Dera followers coming into Rohtak in large numbers as they had done in Panchkula, with the police sealing more than 30 centres of the Dera across the state and taking functionaries who could mobilise mobs into preventive custody.
 He said the police in districts adjacent to Rohtak have been asked to help ensure that Dera supporters are not allowed to enter Rohtak and any person entering the district without showing plausible reason will be taken into preventive custody.

The High Court has ordered the Haryana government to fly Judge Jagdeep Singh to the Rohtak jail to sentence Ram Rahim, who is prisoner number 1997.

Court proceedings will be held at the prison. The centre has instructed the Haryana government to provide the highest level of security to Judge Jagdeep Singh, who convicted Ram Rahim on Friday.
 There is massive security also in Sirsa, where the Dera Sacha Sauda is headquartered. About 30,000 of Ram Rahim's followers are camped at the 1000-acre Dera, waiting for Monday's sentencing. Six people died in Sirsa as followers clashed with the police after Friday's verdict and the town has been tense since and under curfew, which was relaxed for five hours this morning.

The Army is still stationed in Sirsa.