Ambala/Sirsa, October 3
Security has been beefed up in Ambala City as Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim is to appear in a CBI court tomorrow.

District magistrate Mohammad Shayin said Section 144 had been imposed in Ambala City to ensure that there was no law and order problem.

He said information had been received that a large number of dera followers had assembled in Ambala City. He said there was a possibility that traffic would be affected and normal functioning at the court complex might also be affected.

A large number of dera followers have arrived in Ambala City from different parts of Haryana as well as Punjab. The followers could be seen at the HUDA grounds and parks in Ambala City. Most of the followers seemed to have come prepared for camping in the open.

The heavy influx of dera followers into Ambala City led to a traffic jam on the Ambala-Hisar highway this morning.

Tight security arrangements have been made by the police. A posse of police personnel will be present at the court complex and entry will be restricted to lawyers and litigants only. The security arrangements were reviewed this evening. Ambala range IG S.S. Deswal, along with SP K.V. Ramana, took stock of the situation.

The dera chief is expected to stay overnight at a location close to Ambala.

A police official said they were keeping a close vigil in Ambala City. Nakas have been set up on roads which enter Ambala from the Punjab side.

Earlier, followed by a cavalcade of over 100 vehicles, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh today left the dera in Sirsa to appear in the CBI special court, Ambala, tomorrow in connection with three cases - two of murder and one of rape - registered against him.

The dera chief, under the Z-plus security cover, along with a large number followers and dera securitymen, moved out of the dera at about 1.30 pm.

The high court had directed the dera chief to appear before the CBI special court on October 4 while acting on his anticipatory plea.

The court, in its order on September 17, had said that the dera chief would be released on interim bail by the trial court till a decision on his petitions for grant of regular bail in all three cases registered against him.

The CBI had filed three chargesheets against the dera chief, one pertaining to the murder case of journalist Ram Chandra Chhatrapati, another regarding the murder case of former member of the dera management committee Ranjit Singh and a rape case.

The CBI had accused the dera chief of hatching a conspiracy with his associates to eliminate Chhatrapati and Ranjit Singh. Chhatrapati, who was running an evening newspaper, “Poora Sach”, was allegedly murdered for his reports against the dera chief, mainly carrying allegations of sexual exploitation of sadhvis, while Ranjit Singh was shot dead as he was suspected to be behind the circulation of an anonymous letter carrying allegations of sexual exploitation of sadhvis against the dera chief.

Both Chattrapati and Ranjit Singh were allegedly eliminated by dera men at the behest of the dera chief, the CBI had alleged in the chargesheets.

Tribune