Dera chief leaves Mysore camp amid tight security

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh left his ashram at Mysore near here in the wee hours of Monday and boarded a flight to New Delhi.

Police said the Singh, who was brought to the Bangalore international airport under tight security early on Monday, boarded a flight to New Delhi along with about 30 followers and his personal bodyguards.

Singh, who enjoys Z plus category security, was allowed to enter the airport premises through the VIP gate before he boarded the flight to New Delhi, a police official said.

The departure of Dera Sacha Sauda chief comes amid reports that the Karnataka Government asked him to leave the state in the wake of a demonstration staged by the members of the Sikh community in Bangalore seeking his arrest.

The Dera chief was camping at his newly built ashram at Siddalingapura on the outskirts of Mysore since arrival in the state on Saturday. During his stay at the ashram named Prarthana Mandir, Singh held meditation and supervised planting of saplings in the premises under heavy security provided by the Mysore City police.

A platoon of policemen guarded the sect’s ashram during the Dera chief’s stay in Mysore. Though entry to the ashram was barred for the people, including media personnel, curious locals managed to catch a glimpse of the Dera chief when he came out to supervise planting of saplings on Sunday.

But, in the wee hours of Monday, Singh’s convoy left the ashram under a security cover. “We provided police protection to Dera chief to reach Bangalore airport under instructions from higher authorities”, said Mysore City Police Commissioner Ravindranath. But, police officials refused to confirm or deny whether Singh was asked to leave by the Karnataka Government.

Earlier on Sunday, the Sikh community in Bangalore gathered in front of the Gurudwara in Ulsoor in the City and flashed their swords and kirpans as a mark of protest against the Dera chief’s presence in the state. They also burnt his effigy before marching to Raj Bhavan and submitting a memorandum to Governor Rameshwar Thakur.

The Dera chief, who has already incurred the wrath of the Sikh clergy, came to be involved in a fresh row after his bodyguards opened fire on a group of Sikh protestors in Mumbai, leading to one death.