Dera HQ search ops as it happened: On Day 1, authorities seize cash, hard disk, luxury car and designer clothes

File image of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Wikimedia Commons[/caption]The Dera is spread over two campuses, 600 acres and over 100 acres, about eight kilometres from Sirsa and 260 kilometres from Chandigarh.It houses a stadium, a hospital, educational institutions, luxury resort, bungalows and markets.Hundreds of people and sect followers permanently live and work in the mini-township.The premises, where the sect chief lived, known as the "gufa" (cave), is itself spread in an area of nearly 100 acres. It is said to have ultra-luxury facilities.Security was tightened around the Dera headquarters since Wednesday following the approval granted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the state government to "search and sanitise" the premises.Dera administration chairperson Vipassana, who is a close aide of the sect head, said: "We are cooperating with the local administration. All weapons of the Dera and individuals inside (the premises) have been deposited with the authorities. We have nothing to hide."In a fresh appeal to sect followers, Vipassana on Friday urged them to cooperate in the search operation.Hours before the search operation began, the sect's mouthpiece "Sach Kahoon" on Thursday admitted that human remains were buried inside the premises.The Dera newspaper, while defending the action of the Dera management in burying the human remains, said this was done as the sect chief encouraged followers to donate the remains to the sect for burial and prevent these from being immersed in rivers, causing pollution.