Army appeals to Dera followers to leave sect headquarters

Sirsa, August 26 : Defiant followers of Dera Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Saturday stayed put at the sect headquarters here, despite appeals by the Army and authorities to vacate the premises.
The Army, which along with police, had put up barricades at entry points of the Dera Sacha Sauda premises following Friday’s violence triggered by the rape conviction of Ram Rahim, is mulling its options, said a senior official, who did not wish to be named.
Fifteen dera followers have been arrested since Friday night here, police said.
“We will not spare those who have taken the law in their hands. We will take strict action against then,” IG (Hisar) AS Dillo said outside the Dera premises.
An estimated one lakh people, including women and children, are present in the sect headquarters. The Army and district authorities have been making announcements through loudspeakers, asking those inside to leave the premises.Sources said the Army was on Friday night provided with the map of the sprawling dera campus, which is spread over nearly 1,000 acres and is a township on its own, with schools, sports village, hospital and cinema hall.Dera followers had arrived in droves here and in Panchkula ahead of the CBI special court verdict against Ram Rahim in a rape case.