2017 Northern India riots

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2017 Northern India riots
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
Date25–26 August 2017[1]
Location
Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and New Delhi
Caused byRape conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
MethodsRioting, arson
Resulted inProtest halted by the Government
Parties
Casualties
Death(s)41+[2]
Injuries300+
Arrested524 (Haryana)[3]
19 (Punjab)[4]
3 (Delhi)[5]
Detained~1,000[6]
ChargedHoneypreet Insan[2]

On 25 August 2017, widespread rioting in northern India broke out after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the religious leader of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS), was convicted of rape. The riots began in Panchkula and later spread to other parts of the northern Indian states of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and the capital, New Delhi.[2][7] At least 41 people were killed, the majority of them in Panchkula, where 32 people were allegedly killed by police gunfire.[8] More than 300 others were injured.[9]

Background

Beginning 23 August 2017, parts of Haryana, Punjab and

Chandigarh were put under a security lockdown as 200,000 supporters of Ram Rahim amassed in Panchkula ahead of the verdict.[10] A heavy contingent of security was deployed for the verdict including 97 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) companies; 16 Rapid Action Force (RAF); 37 Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB); 12 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and 21 Border Security Force (BSF) companies. Another 10 companies were kept on standby.[11]

The authorities had suspended internet services for 48 hours and

Section 144 of the Indian penal code (prohibiting an assembly of more than four people) was imposed in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan (Ram Rahim's birth-village) in advance of the verdict announcement. Electricity was cut in a few residential areas in Panchkula as a precautionary measure.[11]

On 24 August 2017 Ahead of Verdict Sect Head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan appealed to his Followers to maintain Peace. In a Video released Message he Appeal “I have always respected the law. Even though I am having a backache, still abiding by law, I will go to court.I had already asked to maintain peace and had forbidden to go to Panchkula. All Dera followers who have gone to Panchkula please return to their homes. I have to hear the verdict, I will myself go and hear the verdict. We all should respect the law and maintain peace."[12] [13] [14] [15]


On 25 August 2017, around 15:00 (

sadhvis (nuns) of Dera Sacha Sauda. The court found Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the Dera Sacha Sauda chief — known as "the guru of bling"[16]  — guilty of rape. The sentence was scheduled to be pronounced on 28 August 2017.[17][18][11] He faced a minimum of seven years' imprisonment. Before the verdict, Ram Rahim appealed to his followers to remain calm, after having made the 250 km (156 mi) journey from the sect's headquarters in Sirsa to Panchkula in a 100-vehicle convoy.[19]

Soon afterwards, Ram Rahim's '

Z+ security cover' was withdrawn.[20] He was one of only 36 people in India under that level of government-provided security cover.[21] Ram Rahim was later taken into judicial custody[22] and was reportedly moved to the Western Command Headquarters in Chandimandir Cantonment.[11] Later, he was flown by helicopter to a jail in the nearby town of Rohtak.[23] After the verdict, Ram Rahim supporters were evicted from Panchkula and Chandigarh. Police and paramilitary forces used tear gas shelling in Sector 3, Panchkula, to control Dera supporters which led to clashes.[11]

Violence

Following the conviction, his supporters went on a rampage setting fire to vehicles, government buildings, petrol stations, media vans and railway stations.[7][24] Ram Rahim's followers took to streets brandishing sticks and throwing rocks upon hearing news of his conviction.[25]

According to an

Faridkot.[17] A Vita milk plant and a power substation were damaged in Sirsa.[27]

According to

live ammunition while trying to disperse the mobs in Panchkula and near DSS ashram in Sirsa.[19]

By 7:00 pm (local time), the violence subsided in Panchkula.[18] According to Haryana's Director General of Police, some 10,000 followers of Ram Rahim remained holed up in the DSS headquarters, where security forces were kept on "standby".[3]

Response

Mansa, Bathinda, Firozpur, Faridkot, Fazilka, Patiala, Barnala and Sangrur.[7]

The

Indian Army was called in and about 600 soldiers were deployed in the city of Panchkula to help restore order.[22][19] According to the Indian army sources, six columns of soldiers were deployed in Panchkula and two columns in Sirsa in Haryana. While, one column of army personnel was deployed in Punjab's Mansa and another column in Mukhtsar.[7]

Ghaziabad, Noida, Bulandshahar, Bagpat and Hapur.[7] It was also imposed in eleven districts of Delhi including in New Delhi till 8 September 2017 and in Uttarakhand's Nainital.[5]

Following the violence in Panchkula, almost 250 trains to

Red Cross Society to send in their trained volunteers.[31] All Delhi Metro stations were kept on alert. The Delhi Petrol Pump Association announced closure of at least 12 fuel stations near the Haryana border in Delhi as a preemptive measure. Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) suspended its bus services to the National Capital Region (NCR) due to incidents of arson. The Delhi–Lahore Bus service was suspended as well. The Magistrate of Bagpat district directed all schools in the region to remain closed on 26 August.[5]

Aftermath

On 26 August 2017, the Kurukshetra Police sealed the nine Naam Charcha Ghars (congregation centres) of the Dera Sacha Sauda in the

edged weapons and 2.5 litres (0.55 imp gal; 0.66 US gal) of kerosene during the search operation.[32] [33]

Three people were arrested in connection with arson in Delhi.[5] According to the Advocate General of Punjab 19 rioters had been arrested including Gurdev Singh, a state-level office bearer of Dera Sacha Sauda.[4] According to a Haryana administrator, more than 500 people had been arrested.[3] According to a Haryana Police (HP) official, more than 1,000 of the guru's supporters had been detained in Panchkula on charges of arson and destruction of public property.[24] After the rioting spread, a court ordered the seizure of the DSS ashram and other properties in compensation for the widespread destruction of public and private property.[19]

According to Haryana's

petrol bombs were also recovered. A special hearing was held in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for monitoring the law and order situation in the region and other related issues following the riots.[4]

According to Secretary Dhesi, all the 36 people killed on 25 August were Dera Sacha Sauda followers, who were killed by police gunfire and stampedes.[35] Some lawyers objected to use of lethal bullets by police and filed a petition to request use of pellets to disperse the protesting mobs. But the High Court bench rejected the plea because mobs armed with petrol bombs and other weapons had created a war-like situation.[36][37]

Police seized firearms from the DSS including a semi-automatic shotgun, one

Narcotics were also seized from the convoy.[40] 29 vehicles, mostly luxury SUVs, were also impounded from the Dera convoy by Panchkula Police. [41]

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed on August 27, 2017 to investigate the petrol in the fire truck's compartments. The team Haryana Police Commissioner A. S. Chawla confirmed that no flammable material was found in the fire truck by the crime unit and fire department. [42]

Police recovered 85 cartons of explosives that were used to make fireworks during a raid on an illegal fireworks factory owned by the DSS.[43]

There has not been a single conviction in 14 of the 152 cases of rioting that have been decided so far. [44][45][46]

The

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Panchkula) to take appropriate action but NHRC closed the case in 2021 because the case was before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Followers of DSS had filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana high court in March 2018 in which they had claimed that actual death toll was much higher. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 29 March 2022 submitted data on complaints of police firing taken up by the NHRC in the year 2017 but made no mention of the deaths in Panchkula. [47][48][49][50][51]

Reaction

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind tweeted, "Violence and damage to public property after court verdict is highly condemnable; appeal to all citizens to maintain peace".[10][52] Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi condemned the violence and urged "everyone to maintain peace".[53] While reviewing the situation with the National Security Advisor and the Home Secretary, he asked officials to "work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required".[54]

Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh, the fault in this mayhem lay with allowing people to gather, adding that "this sort of reaction was anticipated".[28]

The following month after the riots,

Hindu akharas (monastic orders), denounced Ram Rahim Singh as a fake baba.[55]

See also

References

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  2. ^ a b c "Honeypreet: Dera violence: Chargesheet against Honeypreet, 14 others | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. 28 November 2017.
  3. ^ a b c McNaughton, Cathal (26 August 2017). "India detains hundreds, cancels more than 300 trains after deadly 'godman' protests". Reuters. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
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  5. ^ a b c d e f Priya, Bhanu (25 August 2017). "Gurmeet Ram Rahim Case Live: 9 Cases Of Arson In Delhi As Violence Spreads After Dera Chief Verdict". NDTV. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh conviction live updates: Death toll rises to 28, railways cancel all trains to Rohtak". The Indian Express. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Live updates: 28 dead, 250 injured as Dera chief conviction sets Haryana on fire". The Hindu. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Families torn apart in Haryana violence". The Hindu. 27 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017. Quote: "Haryana DGP B.S. Sandhu said there were 38 casualties so far, out of which 32 died in Panchkula and six in Sirsa."
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  10. ^ a b c "Ram Rahim rape verdict – Live: 29 killed; dera says 'we have been wronged'". Hindustan Times. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
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  14. The Tribune (Chandigarh)
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  16. ^ Swenson, Kyle (25 August 2017). "India's 'guru of bling' is convicted of raping two followers. After the verdict, deadly violence breaks out". The Washington Post. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  17. ^
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  18. ^ a b Singh, Amitoj (25 August 2017). "Ram Rahim Guilty Of Rape, 30 Reported Dead As Sect Erupts: 10 Facts". NDTV. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  19. ^
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  21. ^ John, Tara (25 August 2017). "What to Know About India's 'Guru of Bling' Whose Rape Conviction Sparked Riots". Time. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  22. ^ a b Safi, Michael (25 August 2017). "Ram Rahim Singh: deadly clashes follow Indian guru's rape conviction". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  23. ^ Jain, Rishabh (26 August 2017). "Uneasy calm after 36 die in India riots over guru verdict". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  24. ^ a b "Ram Rahim Singh's supporters riot after rape conviction". Al Jazeera. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  25. ^ "Violent Protests in India Turn Deadly After Guru's Rape Conviction". The New York Times. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  26. ^ "At least 28 dead in riots after Indian guru's rape conviction". Dawn. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  27. ^ "In Sirsa, 4 killed, 6 hurt in police firing".
  28. ^ a b "Ram Rahim Singh rape case hearing highlights: Curfew may be imposed in Sirsa, army ready to 'give support'". Firstpost. 26 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  29. ^ Bedi, Rahul (25 August 2017). "Twenty-eight dead as violence erupts among devotees of India's 'guru of bling' following rape conviction". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  30. ^ a b "India guru rape case: 12 die in unrest as Ram Rahim Singh convicted". BBC News. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
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  36. Tribune India
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  39. ^ "33 licenced weapons of dera followers handed over to police". The Times of India. 5 September 2017.
  40. ^ "In Ram Rahim's Cavalcade, A Fire Engine Carrying Petrol? Investigations On". NDTV.com.
  41. ^ https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/chandigarh/29-suvs-of-dera-convoy-impounded-20-held-458530
  42. ^ https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gurmeet-ram-rahim-panchkula-violence-haryana-sit-formed-to-examine-fire-tender-part-of-dera-heads-cavalcade-4816479/
  43. ^ "In Ram Rahim Base, Tunnel To Women's Hostel, Explosives Factory: 10 Facts". NDTV.com.
  44. The Tribune (Chandigarh)
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  45. Times Now News
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  46. ^ "Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar admits there were lapses in handling Dera situation". The Economic Times. 25 August 2017.
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  50. ^ "Report on Panchkula riot says 1000 rounds were fired on Dera followers". The New Indian Express. 1 September 2017.
  51. ^ "View: Haryana cops killed 36 people in a day, yet there's no outrage". The New Indian Express. 24 September 2017.
  52. ^ India, President of (25 August 2017). "Violence and damage to public property after court verdict is highly condemnable; appeal to all citizens to maintain peace #PresidentKovind". @rashtrapatibhvn. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  53. ^ Modi, Narendra (25 August 2017). "The instances of violence today are deeply distressing. I strongly condemn the violence & urge everyone to maintain peace". @narendramodi. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  54. ^ "'Deeply distressing': Modi comments on violence following Ram Rahim conviction". Hindustan Times. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  55. ^ "VHP to raise issue of 'fake babas' at Karnataka conclave in November". 12 September 2017.
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