Security forces in India’s northern Haryana state are on high alert ahead of the sentencing of a controversial spiritual leader whose supporters were involved in deadly protests Friday following his conviction for rape.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, head of the spiritual sect Dera Sacha Sauda, faces a minimum prison sentence of seven years after being convicted of raping two of his followers in a case that dates back to 1999.
At least 36 people were killed in Friday’s violence and hundreds more injured, as supporters of Singh’s rampaged through several northern states, setting fire to empty train carriages and burning cars.
Singh is currently being held at Rohtak jail, after arriving there by helicopter Friday from the courthouse in Panchkula. His sentencing will be carried out behind locked doors inside the prison, Monday, in a move officials hope will prevent the guru’s supporters gathering outside.
Loyal support
Singh, known as the “guru of bling” on account of his flamboyant lifestyle, commands a vast and loyal support base throughout the region, and while no new clashes were reported over the weekend, security remains tight, with internet and SMS services shut down in parts of both Punjab and Haryana states until Tuesday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police in Panchkula, Manbir Singh, told CNN that additional army and paramilitary forces have been deployed and are expected to remain on guard until Wednesday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also condemned the violence.
Speaking on his monthly radio program “Mann ki Baat” (“Straight From the Heart”) on Sunday, Modi reminded listeners that India was the home of “Gandhi and Lord Buddha” and that violence was not in the country’s culture.
Sect followers refuse to leave
Dera Sacha Sauda, which describes itself as a “selfless socio-spiritual organization,” has ashrams across 10 states and union territories across India and claims to have millions followers worldwide.
In the small town of Sirsa, located 150 miles away from Panchula, thousands of devotees have gathered at the group’s headquarters.
“The followers are still inside the compound and they could be in the numbers of 10,000 and upwards though people are leaving the compound,” Vijay Kumar, the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Sirsa, told CNN.
Kumar added that a curfew and a ban on the gathering of five or more persons was still in place in Sirsa in the coming days.
Cult icon
Singh is a surprisingly influential figure in India, where he is considered a cult icon and performer.
He is the star of five films and numerous popular music videos, including the “Messenger of God,” in which he acts as the hero who saves the nation.
His look is part-biker gang member, part Hindu epic hero.
In one of his most popular music videos, “Love Charger,” Singh appears clad in a rhinestone-studded motorcycle vest with an embossed image of a lion on the back, while he sings before an adoring crowd.
India’s Central Bureau of Investigation first picked up the case against Singh in 2002, but charges were only formally brought against him in 2007, according to the bureau’s R.K. Gaur.