Up in flames: Policemen try to douse flames after protesters set ablaze Income Tax office in Mansa. Gurmeet Singh Up in flames: Policemen try to douse flames after protesters set ablaze Income Tax office in Mansa. Gurmeet Singh

Punjab’s Malwa region witnessed violence and chaos as followers (premis) of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh went on rampage after he was convicted by the CBI court in a rape case. By evening, curfew was imposed in 10 out of 11 districts of the region, barring Ludhiana. The districts under curfew were — Sangrur, Moga, Bathinda, Muktsar, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Barnala, Patiala, Fazilka, and Mansa. Government-run Sewa Kendras across districts bore the brunt of the attacks.

BARNALA

A telephone exchange at village Channawal was vandalised, with two men trying to set it on fire. Two Sewa Kendras were attacked in village Vajid Ke and Handiaya. Barnala SSP Harjeet Singh said, “One miscreant in case of village Channanwal has been recognised and will be arrested soon.”

FARIDKOT

Curfew was imposed in Faridkot around 6 pm and will stay till 9 am Saturday morning, Faridkot SSP Nanak Singh said.

A Sewa Kendra was targeted in village Rati Rori. Also, a dera follower from village Sadhwala of Faridkot died under mysterious circumstances at Panchkula Thursday late. After her body reached Faridkot on Friday, the family refused to cremate it till other ‘premis’ from the village returned.

MOGA

Two miscreants tried to set railway property on fire in village Dagru using petrol bombs. “They tried to throw a petrol bomb at railway tracks from a moving car but it did not explode. They sped away in the car,” said Moga SSP Raj Jit Singh Hundal. “As a precautionary measure, curfew will be imposed in Moga after 9 pm till next orders of the deputy commissioner,” Hundal said.

LUDHIANA

City bus service run by Ludhiana Municipal Corporation remained suspended on Friday. Internet services were snapped, the radio taxi services, including Ola and Uber, were affected too.

At the Naam Charcha Ghars of the dera in village Gahaur of Jagraon and Jaghera of Khanna, police did not allow premis to assemble. Most of them started moving to Salabatpura, the dera headquarters for Punjab.

SSP (Khanna) Navjot Singh Mahal and SSP (Jagraon) Surjit Singh said heavy force was deployed outside deras. Ludhiana city police commissioner RN Dhoke said that apart from local police, the city was also being guarded by paramilitary forces, mounted forces and anti-riot police. “We have not got report of any violence or arson in Ludhiana city as of now,” Dhoke said. Meanwhile, the administration announced that schools and colleges will remain shut on Saturday too.

MANSA

Around 3 pm, the income tax office located at a congested one-way road in Mansa was targeted by men who came on three motorcycles and a car. Omkar Mehra, a tax assistant at the I-T office, said that 10-15 masked men entered the office forcibly.

“They attacked me, threw petrol on my clothes and also thrashed two of our employees. We all locked ourselves inside a room. The attackers then broke car windows and threw petrol bottles inside and set them afire before running away… Police reached the spot five minutes after the incident,” he said.

Two petrol pumps in villages Moosa and Banawala in Mansa were also ransacked.

Three Sewa Kendras in Borawal, Chahala Wala and Hudla Kalan were damaged in fire after petrol bottles were thrown inside these buildings. In Dattewas and Matti villages, power grids were attacked, again using petrol bombs.

In Mansa’s Bannawali village of Mansa, masked motorcyclists tried to burn a petrol pump but ran away after villagers fired shots in air. Ten persons were rounded up in the district.

MUKTSAR

Eyewitnesses said a group of 20 masked men came and hurled petrol bombs at Malaut railway station. The station’s gate was damaged before the fire brigade managed to douse the flames.

Four villages in former CM Parkash Singh Badal’s constituency, Lambi, came under attack after the court verdict. A telephone exchange in Lambi’s Tappa Khera village and Sewa Kendras in villages Burj and Chappianwai were damaged.

FAZILKA

The front portion of the Balluana railway station in Fazilka district suffered damage after petrol bombs were thrown inside. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from other areas of the district as well, including partial burning of a parked bus near a bus stand.

BATHINDA

In Bathinda, six Sewa Kendras in different villages bore the brunt of the attack. The BSNL building at Maur Mandi was attacked with petrol bombs.

Nine persons were arrested, six FIRs were filed and 42 people detained in Bathinda following the incidents of violence. Naveen Singla, SSP Bathinda told that miscreants were all dera followers and they have been booked under waging the war against state and damage to public property.

SANGRUR

Five persons, all linked to the dera, were arrested in Sangrur. Police recovered petrol bombs, chilli powder, stones and iron rods from them. Those arrested were identified as Mithu, Harvinder, Satpal, Harbans Singh, and Paras Ram.

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