Curfew Relaxed In Sirsa, Stronghold Of Dera Chief Ram Rahim

Meanwhile, in a big crackdown, the Haryana government on Saturday sealed over 30 congregation centres of the Dera Sacha Sauda across the state.

Maintaining law and order will be the top priority for the Haryana police on Monday, when the quantum of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's sentence will be announced, state DGP B S Sandhu said on Sunday even as the toll in Friday's violence rose to 38.

On Saturday, several Dera followers made their way out of the sprawling sect premises after police urged them to vacate the place. Around one lakh people, including women and children, were present in the sect headquarters.

Curfew-like restrictions were imposed here on Thursday in view of the rape case judgement against sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Tension had gripped the locals on Friday, after the Dera head was convicted of rape by a special CBI court in Panchkula, as the frenzied followers of the sect asserted they were ready to go to any extent to avenge their spiritual leader's conviction.

"I was not able to purchase essential items for my household since Thursday night due to imposition of curfew. I will buy sufficient stock of such items," Surender Soni, a resident of Begu area near Dera headquarters said.

To ensure there was no repeat of violence that erupted in Panchkula last week when thousands of Dera followers gathered around the CBI court that convicted Singh in a rape case, all routes to the Sunaria jail in Rohtak, where the self-styled godman has been lodged, have been sealed.