Chandigarh: With tension building up ahead of the sentencing of convicted Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Monday, the Haryana and Punjab governments on Sunday suspended mobile internet services till August 29 (Tuesday).
Both states had suspended mobile internet services earlier on August 24 (Thursday), a day before the verdict of the CBI special court in Panchkula in the rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
The quantum of punishment in the case would be pronounced on Monday at a special court being set up in the prison premises in Rohtak. The judge would be flown to Rohtak on Monday for announcing the sentence.
On August 25, CBI special court judge Jagdeep Singh held the Dera chief, who has lakhs of followers mainly in Punjab and Haryana, guilty of raping and sexually exploiting two female disciples in 2002. The sect chief was later shifted to a prison near Rohtak town (about 70 km from Delhi).
The ACS said the order has been issued "to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the state in view of quantum of punishment to be announced by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in the case of Dera Sacha Sauda Chief, on August 28".
"Besides, it has been reported by Deputy Commissioner, Sirsa and Superintendent of Police, Sirsa that the devotees may resort to breach of peace and tranquillity, and arson leading to damage to public and private properties in Sirsa, being the headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda. Since the environment is tense, rumours of different kinds may be spread through broadband and internet lease lines in the premises of DSS," he added.
Thirty-six people died and over 250 others were injured in violence in Haryana's Panchkula and Sirsa towns on Friday (August 25) following the conviction of the DSS chief by the CBI special court in a rape case.
A spokesperson of the Punjab government said this decision has been taken to maintain law and order in the state.
Both states had suspended mobile internet services earlier on August 24 (Thursday), a day before the verdict of the CBI special court in Panchkula in the rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
The quantum of punishment in the case would be pronounced on Monday at a special court being set up in the prison premises in Rohtak. The judge would be flown to Rohtak on Monday for announcing the sentence.
On August 25, CBI special court judge Jagdeep Singh held the Dera chief, who has lakhs of followers mainly in Punjab and Haryana, guilty of raping and sexually exploiting two female disciples in 2002. The sect chief was later shifted to a prison near Rohtak town (about 70 km from Delhi).
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The ACS said the order has been issued "to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the state in view of quantum of punishment to be announced by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in the case of Dera Sacha Sauda Chief, on August 28".
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"Besides, it has been reported by Deputy Commissioner, Sirsa and Superintendent of Police, Sirsa that the devotees may resort to breach of peace and tranquillity, and arson leading to damage to public and private properties in Sirsa, being the headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda. Since the environment is tense, rumours of different kinds may be spread through broadband and internet lease lines in the premises of DSS," he added.
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Thirty-six people died and over 250 others were injured in violence in Haryana's Panchkula and Sirsa towns on Friday (August 25) following the conviction of the DSS chief by the CBI special court in a rape case.
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A spokesperson of the Punjab government said this decision has been taken to maintain law and order in the state.
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