The Haryana Police and central forces on Thursday night swung into action to flush out scores of Dera followers who have gathered in Panchkula over the past three days.

State DGP BS Sandhu said the night-long operation would be carried out and the Dera followers would be moved out in buses arranged by the government.

An estimated 1.5 lakh Dera followers including men, women and children have gathered in Panchkula, where a CBI court is set to deliver its verdict in a rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh today.

After a rap from the Punjab and Haryana High Court as to how thousands of Dera followers had been allowed to gather at Panchkula ahead of the court verdict, Sandhu told reporters that they would be moved. “The High Court order is that they should be told they will have to go. We are arranging buses and the entire night exercise will be carried out to send them out of Panchkula,” Sandhu said.

The crowd has caused uneasiness among the locals leading to shutdown of schools, colleges, shops and other businesses Panchkula as well as Chandigarh. Singh himself shared a video message urging his followers to maintain peace and to return home. “Those of you who have gone to Panchkula, please go back to your houses. I will go and listen to the verdict in the court myself. It is our duty to respect the law,” he said in the message.

According to the Tribune, Singh’s cavalcade is expected to start around 8 am from Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters. The road connecting the dera to the National Highway 9 in Sirsa district has been cleared of all traffic, including cyclists.The Haryana police, lead by senior officers, is expected to accompany the motorcade to ensure safety during the transit.