Dera followers camp near the Panchkula district court on Wednesday. Jaipal Singh Dera followers camp near the Panchkula district court on Wednesday. Jaipal Singh

Punjab and Haryana were put on maximum alert on Wednesday, ahead of the scheduled verdict on August 25 by a CBI court in Panchkula in a rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim. More than one lakh dera followers are already camping in Panchkula in a show of strength and solidarity with Gurmeet Ram Rahim and thousands more have been streaming in from across Punjab and Haryana.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has ordered withdrawal of 1,000 police personnel from VVIP security for on-field duty to strengthen the security blanket. The decision was announced by the CM during a review meeting of the law and order situation attended by DGP Suresh Arora and other police officers.

Both Punjab and Haryana governments are also in touch with the Army for assistance to maintain law and order, if required. In Punjab, a total of 85 companies of central paramilitary forces along with thousands of policemen on the ground will maintain a tight vigil, especially in the Malwa region where the Dera has a huge following in the districts of Moga, Bathinda, Sangrur, Barnala, Patiala and Ludhiana. Flag marches were held in many districts.

Amarinder Singh spoke to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, seeking an additional 10 companies of paramilitary after its earlier request for 75 companies. Haryana, hit last year by the Jat agitation violence and the 2014 stand-off at the Sant Rampal dera, is also making preparations on a war footing, with 36 companies of paramilitary already deployed and eight more on the way. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas said an additional force of 2,500 police personnel from“internal sources” has been mobilised. Also, 2000 Home Guard volunteers have been called up for duty.

In Panchkula, six companies of paramilitary and 5,000 personnel from Haryana armed police batallions are spread over the town, most of them guarding the district court complex where the CBI court sits, to prevent dera followers from entering it. In Chandigarh, as many as 6,000 policemen have been deployed, along with 10 paramilitary companies. The Punjab government has ordered all schools and colleges to remain shut on August 25. Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Punjab, said a statement by the government. Prohibitory orders have also been issued for all districts of Haryana.

Panchkula schools were ordered closed from August 23 and will reopen on August 28. Universities and colleges in several districts will remain closed on August 25. The Haryana government has also declared a gazetted holiday for offices in Panchkula on Friday. Roadways buses will remain off road for most of Friday. The suspension of mobile Internet services is also being considered.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar met Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki late on Wednesday to brief him about the situation, said Amit Arya, media adviser to Khattar. In Punjab, a complete ban has been issued on carrying of firearms, with orders to shut down private gun houses selling arms and ammunition to licence holders. Amid intelligence reports of dera followers stocking petrol and arms at the Dera’s Naam Charcha Ghars, restrictions have been placed on sale of fuel in bottles and cans.

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