New Delhi: Thousands of supporters of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Friday went on a rampage, torching vehicles and destroying public properties, leaving at least 28 dead and 200 others injured, after a CBI court convicted the self-styled godman in a 2002 rape case.
The court has reserved its decision on the quantum of sentence on August 28.
Haryana's Panchkula city, where the hearing took place, was the worst hit with Ram Rahim's supporters launching violent protests soon after the conviction.
The spiralling violence left the city in a state of disarray even as the local administration clamped a curfew and rushed to normalise the situation.
Violent protests were also witnessed in neighbouring Punjab. Section 144 was imposed in towns in 10 Punjab districts, including Mansa, Bathinda, Patiala, Fazilka, Ferozepore, Faridkot, Malout, Sangrur and Barnala following the violence.
Besides Panchkula, which resembled a war zone, curfew was also imposed in Sirsa, the headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda where one person died in the violence.
The army was deployed in different parts of Haryana and Punjab, including Panchkula, Sirsa, Mansa and Muktsar -- the last two major centres of the sect.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the violence and urged everyone to maintain peace. "The instances of violence today are deeply distressing. I strongly condemn the violence and urge everyone to maintain peace," he said in series of tweets.
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