 "Dera verdict: 29 Punjab, Haryana-bound trains cancelled till 4 days")
Ahead of the judgement of a special court in a sexual exploitation case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the railways has cancelled 29 trains bound for Punjab and Haryana for four days, beginning on Thursday.
According to a Northern Railway spokesperson, 22 trains to Punjab and 7 to Haryana have been cancelled. The trains would have made 74 trips over the next four days.
"We had received a request from the Haryana government to cancel trains in the state in view of apprehensions on the law and order front," he said.
The spokesman said no such request was received from the Punjab government.
Rahim said earlier in Chandigarh that he will appear in person before the court and appealed to his followers to maintain peace.
The case was registered against the Dera chief in 2002 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court after anonymous letters were circulated about the alleged sexual exploitation of two 'sadhvis' (female followers) against him.
Rahim has, however, denied the charges.
