
Three years ago to the day, Haryana’s Panchkula was on tenterhooks as followers of Dera Sacha Sauda poured into the city ahead of the pronouncement of a local court’s verdict in a rape case against the Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
Panchkula was put on alert as were several cities in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan where the Sirsa-headquartered sect had considerable influence.