Chandigarh: Ahead of the announcement of the quantum of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's sentence, Rohtak IG Navdeep Singh Virk today said paramilitary forces were in charge of jail security, and that shoot-at-sight orders had been issued.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, a flamboyant self-styled-godman, was on Friday convicted of rape by a Panchkula court. 38 people were killed in the violence that followed the announcement of the judgement.
Ram Rahim Singh's supporters are being evacuated from inside his ashram in Haryana's Sirsa. The local administration has arranged more than 150 Haryana roadways buses to send his supporters home. Students staying in the hostel of a Dera-run school are also being evacuated and sent home.
More than 30,000 supporters are reportedly still inside the ashram.
Here's a round-up of the security arrangements that have been made in Haryana and elsewhere ahead of tomorrow's announcement.
Rohtak Range IGP NS Virk said a special CBI Court would be held inside the Sunaria jail premises in Haryana's Rohtak. "Although we haven't received (the) official itinerary, proceedings (will) hopefully begin around 2.30 pm," he said.
Haryana DGP B S Sandhu said his state's police force was "totally alert" ahead of the announcement.
He assured media professionals that police were making "all efforts" to ensure their safety.
Curfew has been imposed in Sirsa, where the Dera Sacha Sauda is headquartered, Sandhu said. No other part of the state is under curfew, he added.
The DGP said 103 Deras had been sanitized.
ADGP Mohammad Akil said the Army hadn't been deployed in Rohtak yet, but that it was on standby.
However, 23 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed there, he said.
38 people were killed in the violence that followed Friday's verdict, DGP Sandhu said. Six people who died in Sirsa, and 24 of the 32 who died in Panchkula have been identified, he said.
Sedition and attempt to murder charges have been slapped against seven people, including five Haryana police personnel who were part of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's security paraphernalia.
The Delhi Police's PRO said additional forces had been mobilized, and that extra forces would be deployed in sensitive areas.