Curfew relaxed for 12 hrs in Haryana’s Sirsa; schools, colleges open

The authorities on Tuesday relaxed the curfew from 7am to 7pm in Sirsa after no violent incident was reported in the area following the sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case.
Rohtak: The authorities on Tuesday relaxed the curfew from 7am to 7pm in Sirsa after no violent incident was reported in the area following the sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case.
This is the second time since Sunday the curfew was relaxed in the area. The decision to relax the curfew was taken at a high-level meeting between authorities.
Sirsa town is home to the sprawling Dera headquarters where the sect’s followers had gathered in large numbers ahead of Ram Rahim’s conviction.
“During the relaxation of curfew people can buy their household items. Also, schools colleges and other educations institutions will also remain open during the period,” Special Commissioner (Civil), V Umashankar told PTI.
Earlier in the day, Inspector General (Hisar range) AS Dhillon said there has been no report of violence by Dera followers in the district.
On August 28, a special CBI court sentenced Ram Rahim to 20 years in prison after he was convicted in two rape cases.
CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh pronounced two sentences of 10 years rigorous imprisonment in each of the two cases that date back to 2002, said defence lawyer SK Garg Narwana.
He said both sentences will run consecutively for a total of 20 years in jail for the flamboyant guru who has millions of followers and counts politicians as well as celebrities as his friends.
The conviction of the Dera head triggered arson and violence across Haryana that claimed 36 lives and injured over 250 people. In Sirsa, four people died and 58 were injured.