The Haryana Police have stepped up security arrangements in Rohtak ahead of the sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case on Monday. Border Security Force personnel and Haryana Police are stationed around the jail that Singh is lodged in, NDTV reported.

More than 20 paramilitary companies have already been stationed in the city, and more are on their way, police officer Navdeep Singh Virk was quoted as saying. He added that vehicles would not be allowed to enter Rohtak without a valid reason.

Central Bureau of Investigation judge Jagdeep Singh is to be flown to Rohtak on Monday to sentence Singh. A room in the district jail in Sunaria will serve as a court room, a statement by the High Court of Haryana and Punjab had said on Saturday.

Curfew reimposed

Meanwhile, curfew was reimposed in Sirsa on Sunday. It was lifted for a few hours in the morning. A media crew was beaten up and their vehicle vandalised in Sirsa near the Dera headquarters, ANI reported. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he is on his way to the southern parts of state to ensure the situation is under control.

Lenient sentence

Singh’s advocate S K Garg Narwana said he will seek a lenient sentence as he believes the Dera chief is innocent, according to News18. “...I believe he is innocent. But since he has been convicted, I will plead for a lower sentence in case the court does not itself grant him the lowest possible term,” Narwana said.