After a Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) follower committed suicide by hanging himself in Haryana’s Ambala jail, all the Jail Superintendents in the state have been asked to provide counselling to the Dera followers lodged in the prisons across the state.
Speaking to The Statesman, Haryana Director General of Police (DGP), Jails, KP Singh said that the superintendents of jails have been asked to provide counselling to Dera followers lodged in prisons so as to prevent such suicides.

The official said, “Though it is like not possible to prevent somebody from committing suicide, but the jail authorities, Jail Superintendents have been asked to hold counselling of these Dera followers.”

According to the official information nearly 1,017 Dera followers are lodged in various prisons of Haryana, out of which maximum numbers are reported from Ambala jail.

The decision came after a 27-year-old Dera followers lodged in Ambala jail committed suicide on Sunday by hanging himself in the toilet.

The deceased Ravinder Kumar, a native of Sarsawa in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh was arrested by the Haryana police in connection of the violence that had erupted in Panchkula city on 25 August following the conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim by the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in a rape cases.

Kumar has been booked under the various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He has been arrested for various charges including attempt to murder, rioting, damaging public property and assault. Subsequently, he was lodged in Ambala jail.

According to the jail authority, Kumar hanged himself in the washroom by using a piece of cloth. Following his suicide, a probe has been ordered into the matter.

After the Dera chief’s conviction violence had erupted in many Haryana parts mainly in Panchkula and Sirsa. The clashes between the Dera followers and police left nearly 38 people dead while hundreds injured.

More than 1,000 persons have been arrested under different FIRs registered in Haryana for sedition, rioting, assault, attempt to murder, damaging public and private properties and other charges.

Following the conviction, the Dera chief was also awarded 20-year imprisonment in the said rape cases. The decision also kept Haryana, Punjab and neighbouring states on alert for many days. Bus, railways and mobile internet services remained suspended for many days while educational institutes and government offices also remained closed.