Ram Rahim sentence: Delhi Police say don’t believe in rumours, city safe

Delhi police quashed rumours of traffic restrictions in the capital and urged people to confirm information from verified channels before sharing with others.

With just a few hours to go before a special court in Haryana pronounces the quantum of sentence for convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, social media was rife with rumours about traffic restrictions and messages urging people not to step out of their homes in Delhi on Monday.

Delhi police said that the traffic advisories doing rounds on social media were fake and urged people not to believe in rumours. (Sonu Mehta/HT FILE)

Delhi Police was, however, prompt to quash the rumours and urged citizens not to fuel or believe in hearsay. Police said that over 4000 extra personnel have been deployed in Delhi.

The Delhi Police tweeted: “Please do not fuel or believe in any rumours on social media or messaging apps. Do confirm from verified sources and official channels before sharing posts.”

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“According to the advisory issued by Delhi Traffic Police from 8pm on Sunday, the following routes will be completely closed for general public....” read one of the many fake messages doing rounds on social media.

Another message claimed that protesters have hit the roads and a few vehicles had been torched. It urged people to stay safe and remain indoors.

Some other messages claimed that schools would remain shut on Monday and urged parents not to send their children to schools. The message claimed that protesters could target schools.

Delhi police spokesperson Madhur Verma, however, dispelled all speculations and rumours. He said: “There won’t be any route diversions or restrictions. All routes are open. Ignore false traffic advisories running on social media. All schools and colleges are open.”

Sources in the police said that adequate arrangements have been made to prevent and tackle any untoward incident.

The measures are aimed at preventing a re-run of violence that erupted in Delhi on Friday after a special CBI court at Panchkula held the self-styled godman guilty of raping two of his female followers in 2002.

The police were seen holding flag marches in several areas on Saturday and Sunday, senior officers interacted with locals and volunteers to instil confidence among citizens and dispel all fears and rumours. Additional forces have been deployed, sensitive areas have been identified and security has been beefed up in such areas.