A fifth of Ram Rahim’s followers held for Panchkula havoc are women

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted in a rape case, following which a mob went on a rampage in Panchkula.

The mob that went on a rampage in Panchkula after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case on Friday comprised not only men but also a large number of the Sirsa-based sect’s women followers.

Ram Rahim’s followers leave his dera in Sirsa on Sunday. Around 150 women have been booked for the violence in Panchkula. (PTI)

Police have booked around 800 followers under various sections, including attempt to murder and outraging religious sentiments, of the IPC. Of these, around 150 are women.

Most of these women, who converged on the city along with an estimated two lakh followers ahead of the verdict, are from Haryana’s Sirsa and Kurukshetra and Punjab’s Bathinda, Patiala and Malerkotla. Mostly from villages, they are illiterate and many claimed they were forced to come here. All the women were produced in a local court, which sent them to jail.

Sources said the women were seen rioting, burning vehicles, throwing stones and even manhandling police and media persons besides entering houses. They were also challenging the security personnel while raising slogans in favour of their chief.