It’s a script at once familiar and frightful. Instances of self-styled godmen finding themselves in the crosshairs of law of the land are a recurring theme.
But, the latest flashpoint ahead of a CBI court’s verdict tomorrow, August 25, on the rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the colourful and controversial head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, has put both Haryana and Punjab on the edge.
Tensions have sharply spiralled in both states where the sect has a sizable following. The mammoth gathering of the Dera faithful, who address themselves as ‘premis’, at Panckula where Singh has been directed to appear before the CBI judge, has presented a clear and present danger to law and order.
In spite of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in Haryana and barricading on roads, over 150,000 Dera followers, mostly women, had defiantly marched to the Chandigarh suburb and are camping at ground zero. By the time the legal denouement in the rape case based on the allegations of two female followers in 2002 is made, the number of ‘premis’ gathered, police officials apprehend, may swell to 500,000.
The CBI court has been fortified with multi-layered security, but Singh’s announcement that he will appear at court tomorrow despite a “back ache” will mean that maintaining law and order will be a daunting challenge for the Haryana government.
Making it a potentially explosive situation are high-level intelligence assessments that the frenzied followers may turn into an unruly mob in case of an adverse judgment against their chief. Such fears are not exaggerated, going by his followers’ spirited mobilisation and shrill defence of Singh’s innocence on social media platforms.
with thanks : HindustanTimes : LINK : for more details
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