5 Hry cops, part of Dera chief's security, dismissed: Police

Five Haryana policemen, who were part of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's security and were charged with sedition, were dismissed from service today, police officials said.

Sedition and attempt to murder charges were slapped against seven persons, including the five police personnel, in charge of the Dera chief's security when he had arrived at Panchkula to appear in a CBI court on Friday.

They had allegedly tried to free the Dera chief when he was brought outside the Panchkula Court complex after a special CBI court convicted him in a 15-year-old rape case, the police had said.

They were produced before a court yesterday which sent them to seven days in police remand, the officials said.

The arrested police personnel were in the ranks of sub- inspector, assistant sub-inspector, the head constable and constable, they said.

The conviction of the Dera head in the 2002 rape case had triggered arson and violence in Haryana that claimed 36 lives and injured over 250 people.