INDIA: 100 arrested, 300 train trips cancelled as protests over ‘godman’ spread

The death of no less than 29 people killed in violent protests following the conviction of a self-styled ’godman’ has forced Indian authorities to arrest about 100 people and cancelled 300 train trips in the northern region of the country.

Deadly demonstrations erupted after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh better known as ‘godman’ was found guilty on Friday of raping two followers in a case dating back to 2002.

The head of a social welfare and spiritual group with a wide following in Punjab and Haryana states, according to reports committed the crime at the headquarters of his Dera Sacha Sauda group in the northern town of Sirsa.

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Security personnel were still guarding Panchkula, which was among the worst affected towns during the violence, as some shops started to reopen and people came out of their homes.

“I was just speaking with an army general to continue patrolling in Sirsa,” said Niwas. “We’ve asked everyone to continue effective patrolling, because the (sentence) will be announced the day after.”

Security forces are also on “standby” outside the spiritual leader’s headquarters where some 10,000 followers remained holed up, the Director General of Police in Haryana state, Baljit Singh Sandhu, told India Today news station.

 
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