Illegal explosive factory discovered inside Dera headquarters on day 2 of search operation, gets sealed

On Friday, the search teams had discovered plastic cash tokens which were used as a "parallel currency", along with unlabeled Ayurvedic medicines, an OB van and a luxury vehicle estimated to be around Rs 1 crore inside the Dera headquarters in Sirsa.

By: Express Web Desk
New Delhi | Updated: September 9, 2017 03:13 PM IST

3 min read

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Dera Sacha Sauda, Dera headquarters search, Dera sanitisation operation, Sirsa searches, Dera gufa, Dera cave, sirsa curfew, india news, indian express

Security forces stand guard at the main entrance to the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters, in Sirsa district of Haryana on Friday (PTI Photo)

The search team comprising of Haryana police officials, paramilitary forces and the army, discovered an illegal explosives factory inside the 700-acre Dera Sacha Sauda complex in Sirsa district on the second day of the operation. Speaking to reporters, Deputy Director of Haryana PR Department, Satish Mehra said the illegal factory was shut down on discovery. “Illegal explosives factory inside Dera Sacha Sauda premises sealed. Explosives and fire crackers were seized,” Mehra said. Later on in the day, Mehra said that a window-like path leading from Dera Awas to Sadhvi Niwas was found inside the complex. “We found a window-like path leading from Dera Awas to Sadhvi Niwas. Team is investigating the same,” he said.

The search operation continued on Saturday amid heavy security stationed at Satnam Chowk and other nearby areas. On Friday, the search teams had discovered plastic cash tokens which were used as a “parallel currency”, along with unlabeled Ayurvedic medicines, an OB van and a luxury vehicle estimated to be around Rs 1 crore inside the Dera headquarters in Sirsa. According to sources, around Rs 12000 in cash, along with computers and hard drives were also confiscated by the police. The teams also found Rs 7000 demonetised currency.

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Licensed weapons deposited by followers of Sirsa headquartered of Dera Sacha Sauda at Sadar police station in Sirsa on Monday. (PTI Photo)

The forces also found five boys at a residential colony inside Dera complex during the search operation on the first day. Speaking to reporters, Mehra said two of the boys are minor. “Two of the boys are minor while three are above 18 years. They were found in Upkar Colony of the Dera during the search operation,” he said. “One of these boys had been missing since August 15. They have not complained about anything. For the time being, both minor boys have been handed over to the officials of Women and Child Development Department after medical examination,” another official added. The officials have contacted families of the boys and they are likely to be united with their parents on Saturday.

The search operation is expected to continue for a few days. Meanwhile, curfew has been imposed in nearby areas of the Dera headquarters. Internet services have been shut down in Sirsa till Sunday.

Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison by a CBI court for raping two women last month. In the violence following his conviction, more than 30 people, mostly followers of the Dera chief, were killed in clashes with security forces in Panchkula.