29 SUVs of dera convoy impounded, 20 held

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 27

At least 29 vehicles, most of them luxury SUVs, which were part of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s convoy when he came to appear before the Panchkula CBI court on August 25, have been impounded by the Panchkula police and 20 dera followers arrested. There were 302 vehicles in the convoy when it entered Panchkula district. 

While the police are not divulging details, sources revealed that they had recovered pistols, countrymade pistols, other sophisticated weapons, iron rods, sticks, wireless sets and women’s undergarments from the impounded vehicles of dera chief’s cavalcade, which were parked in the residential area of Sector 4, MDC.

The police have also impounded a fire engine which contained some chemical in huge quantity. It was also part of the convoy. “Dera Sacha Sauda” is written on the fire engine. The police have kept the impounded vehicles and fire engine at the Mansa Devi Complex (MDC) police station and other stations of the district. 

Forensic teams checked the chemical and a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to look into the matter.

The Haryana Director-General of Police, BS Sandhu, said the chemical recovered from the fire engine, which formed part of the dera chief’s motorcade, was being examined by a special investigation team. He said prima facie, it seemed the chemical had neutral pH value and was non-inflammable. Apart from this, some luxury cars which had been seized are also being examined, he added.

Earlier, more than 50 dera followers, armed with rifles, pistols and petrol, were arrested at Singh Dwar on Friday night. 

Vehicles entered P’kula through Saketri

These vehicles entered through Saketri village on the evening of August 25. The local residents, including RWA president Davinder Mahajan, alerted the police, which led to the recovery of these vehicles.

Police fully prepared for today: P’kula CP

Panchkula: The Panchkula police are fully prepared for Monday in view of announcement of quantum of sentence to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the rape case, said Panchkula Police Commissioner AS Chawla. He said they had decreased the deployment of security forces but they had control over the situation. A total of 21 FIRs have been registered in connection with Friday violence and 915 people arrested to date. Meanwhile, restrictions at the entry-exit points were also relaxed. The Haryana and Chandigarh police checked the vehicles of suspicious people. TNS