Dera chief walks out on parole — second time in 3 months, fourth in last 14

Haryana Jails Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala earlier said Ram Rahim’s family had filed an application seeking a 40-day parole, which was forwarded to the Rohtak divisional commissioner. Ram Rahim had said in his application that he wants to attend an event to mark the birth anniversary of former dera chief Shah Satnam Singh on January 25. Rohtak Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma told media persons that “the parole has been granted for 40 days, in accordance with the rules”.

“Ram Rahim is like every other prisoner and also has his fundamental rights. After 3-5 years, a prisoner can apply for parole and it is not in our hands, competent authority decides on it,” said Ranjit Singh.

Ram Rahim arrived at Barnawa Ashram in a convoy of half-a-dozen vehicles. The doors of the ashram were closed as soon as he entered it.

Circle officer of Baghpat D K Sharma said that people will not be allowed to crowd the Ashram. Ram Rahim’s adopted daughter Honeypreet Singh and family members accompanied him, SHO of Binauli Police Station Saleem Ahmed said.

Incidentally, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar denied having any information about the parole granted to Ram Rahim, who is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples.

“I do not have any information about it. I only came to know of it through media. He must have applied for it and got it. Every convict has a legal right to seek parole. We do not interfere in such issues, have never had and shall never do so,” said Khattar.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal said “repeated” paroles were being granted to the Dera chief but “justice was not being done with ‘Bandi Singhs’ (Sikh prisoners)”, who he claimed, were in jails even after completion of their sentences.

“The need of the hour is to provide a healing touch to anguished Sikh hearts. Instead of doing this, the governments are bending over backwards to please a rape and murder convict,” he said, adding this only “exposes the anti-Sikh intent of governments”.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami also objected to the grant of parole to the Dera chief.
“The dual policy of the governments towards minorities is creating an environment of mistrust among Sikhs,” he said.

Dhami said if Ram Rahim, convicted for rape and murder, can come out of jail on parole four times within a year, then why is the government not listening to the voice of the Sikh community for the release of Sikh prisoners.

“Minority Sikhs are continuously being ignored under hateful attitude”, said Dhami.

SGPC president asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to not adopt “a biased attitude towards the minorities and to ensure protection of the rights of the people of all religions as per the Constitution”.

“If this attitude continues, the feeling of alienation will prevail among the Sikhs who struggled for freedom of the country. Even in the case of Sikh prisoners, the governments should adopt a compassionate policy and take the decision to release them keeping in mind their characters in the jails,” said Dhami.

During his previous parole period in October-November, the 55-year-old dera chief had held several online “satsang” sessions at the Barnawa ashram. Some of these sessions were attended by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from Haryana.

Prior to that, Ram Rahim had come out of the prison on a month-long parole in June. Besides, he was granted three weeks’ furlough from February 7, 2022, barely two weeks before the Punjab Assembly polls.

In June 2019, Ram Rahim was made to withdraw his parole plea after the Opposition parties cornered the Haryana government for allegedly favouring him. At the time, he had sought a 42-day parole to tend to his farm in Sirsa.
According to the prison authorities, a convict is entitled to parole of 90 days every year, subject to clearances on his conduct and security clearances from the district administration where he or she would be staying during the parole period.

The Dera chief was first convicted in August 2017 by a special CBI court in Panchkula for raping two of his women disciples at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa. In 2019, Ram Rahim and three others were convicted for the 2002 murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. Last year, he, along with four others, was convicted for hatching a conspiracy to kill the Dera’s former manager Ranjit Singh, who was shot dead, also in 2002.

WITH PTI