Twenty eight of the deaths were reported from Panchkula and six from Sirsa, the headquarters of the sect. But the court wasn’t impressed and even criticised the Centre, terming its response as “only a knee-jerk reaction”. Security forces sealed scores of Dera congregation centres in Punjab and Haryana, detaining many people and recovering petrol and sticks in huge quantities. Often called the guru of bling for his flamboyant lifestyle, the Dera chief who studied up to Class 10 runs 11 schools and two colleges, including a management institute. The Dera also has factories for confectionery products in its 800-acre headquarters on the outskirts of Sirsa in Haryana.

Source: Hindustan Times August 26, 2017 17:58 UTC