Chandigarh, August 24: Sources said that mobile Internet services have been suspended for 72 hours in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh, ahead of the court verdict in the sexual exploitation case against the Dera Sacha Sauda sect head tomorrow.
The decision to suspend mobile Internet services was taken in a coordination committee meeting of Haryana, Punjab and Union Territory Chandigarh held under the chairmanship of Punjab Governor and UT Administrator.
Fearing violence by the huge mass of Dera supporters gathered at the sect headquarters at Sirsa in Haryana and at Panchkula where the court is based, officials announced several other restrictive steps even as the sect chief appealed to his followers to maintain peace.
Plying of buses to Chandigarh and Panchkula would be suspended till Friday & the Railways cancelled 22 trains bound for Haryana.
Nearly two lakh sect followers have descended on Panchkula. More than 15,000 paramilitary personnel have been deployed in Punjab and Haryana besides extra police force, 18 companies of paramilitary forces would be available by this evening.
As a precaution, the administration has declared a three-day holiday in all schools in Chandigarh till Saturday. The Haryana government has closed all colleges and libraries in Panchkula district till Friday.
In Punjab, prohibitory orders have been imposed and all schools and colleges reportedly would be closed on Friday. All Punjab government offices located in Chandigarh will be closed on Friday.
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