Haryana officials on Friday increased security in Panchkula, a day before a special Central Bureau of Investigation court takes up two murder cases against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, IANS reported. The self-styled godman is accused of ordering his followers to kill Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and former Dera manager Ranjit Singh.

Paramilitary and police personnel have been deployed around the court complex and several areas of Panchkula, Haryana Director General of Police BS Sandhu said. CBI judge Jagdeep Singh, who had delivered the verdict in the rape case against Singh, will hear this case as well. Singh will appear in the hearing through video-conferencing from the district jail in Sunaria, officials said.

Earlier, the police were criticised for inefficiency after 36 people died and over 250 were injured in the violence following the Dera chief’s conviction in two rape cases. On August 28, Singh was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping two of his followers in 2002.