Ram Rahim gets 20 days parole, conditions- no entry in Haryana, no election campaign
#News Bureau October 1,2024
The Haryana government late on Tuesday night granted 20-day parole to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh even as the Election Commission laid down stringent conditions, including a ban on his entry into Haryana, making public speeches or engaging in any political activity. Singh, who is serving a 20-year sentence in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail for raping two of his disciples, got the parole four days ahead of Haryana’s October 5 polls.
According to an official, Rohtak divisional commissioner Sanjeev Verma approved the parole application and said the Dera chief will walk out of Sunaria jail on Wednesday morning. During the parole period, he will stay at his Dera in Barnawa in UP’s Baghpat district.
Due to the elections, the state government on Saturday sent his parole file to the CEO for advice. After this, the CEO wrote a letter to the state government demanding to know the extenuating and compelling circumstances for releasing the convict on parole during the election process. The CEO office was informed by the state government on Monday. In which the death anniversary of the Dera chief’s father, the serious health condition of some close people and blood donation camp have been mentioned behind Ram Rahim’s parole petition.
After examining the government response, the CEO said, “Since the election code of conduct is in force, this (parole petition) has come to us for our views… We have written back to the state government and said they can consider parole. But the veracity of the facts stated in the letter (petition) should be checked. Also, if the government grants parole, other conditions should also be fulfilled in view of the elections.”
He clarified that the CEO has to give his opinion only while the decision to grant parole rests with the state government or the prison department. An official had earlier said that generally, “convicts are not released after the model code of conduct comes into force to maintain the dignity of the election process and ensure a level playing field.” But what happened in Ram Rahim’s case is in front of the eyes.
Meanwhile, Anshul Chhatrapati, son of slain journalist who exposed Dera, said that granting parole to the Dera chief during the Haryana assembly elections would be a “violation of democratic values, right to fair elections and impartial voting”. He claimed that after coming out of jail, Ram Rahim “can influence voting by sending messages to his devotees to benefit a particular party”. Anshul also said, “Power hungry politicians have been bowing before the so-called saint for the last several years and the Dera chief took full advantage of the political parties to save himself.” According to Anshul, since 2020, the Dera chief has already been granted parole or furlough several times, allowing him to stay out of jail for 255 days, especially ahead of the elections.
