The government has ordered that rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh be removed from the list of dignitaries allowed access to the VIP lounge of airports.

'It has now been decided to withdraw the permission for use of reserve lounge at airports granted to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa, with immediate effect,' says a letter dated September 1 from the Civil Aviation ministry to the chairman of the Airports Authority of India.

Permission to access 'reserve lounges' at airports comesunder the purview of the the ministry.

However, it could not be immediately ascertained when Gurmeet Singh was given this perk.

A senior official of AAI said instructions have been passed on to regional executive directors as well as airport directors to comply with the order.

Meanwhile, six followers of Dera Sacha Sauda were arrested for allegedly damaging a petrol pump and a car at Chal village near Faridkot, police said today.

The Dera followers damaged the petrol pump and a car on August 25 after Ram Rahim Singh was convicted.

The police claimed that the arrested Dera followers tried to set the petrol pump on fire, but failed to do so.

The Dera followers were arrested yesterday, the police said.  -- PTI