Parole after parole for rapist Gurmeet!

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: Dera Sacha Sauda chief and rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh (in pic) walked out of the Sunaria jail in Haryana’s Rohtak district on Thursday after he was granted a 30-day parole.

Singh was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in 2017 for raping two of his women disciples at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa district. In 2021, he and four others were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the murder case of Ranjit Singh, a former manager of his sect.

This is the fifth time since last year that the Dera chief has been allowed to be out on parole. He was granted a 40-day parole in January and October last year.

Prior to that, the sect leader was released on month-long parole ahead of the Sangrur bye-election in Punjab in June last year. In February, he was granted a 21-day furlough ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections.

A prisoner is granted parole based on an urgent demand or need, a furlough can be given without any reason after serving a stipulated amount of time in prison.

'Govt is letting Sikh community down'

Meanwhile, in a video message, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said Gur meet Ram Rahim Singh, who was in jail in murder and rape cases, has again been given parole and the 'Khalsa Panth' strongly objects to it.

On one hand, he (Dera chief) was being given parole on a regular basis while on the other hand, the "Bandi Singhs" (Sikh prisoners) who have spent over 30 years in jails, were not being released, he said. By giving the Dera chief parole on a regular basis, the government is trying to let down the Sikh community, he said.

SGPC and various other bodies have been seeking the release of Sikh prisoners, who they claimed were lodged in different prisons despite having completed their sentences.

The SGPC president alleged that governments are turning a blind eye "to the heinous crimes of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for their political interests and are letting him free repeatedly".

"Such a policy of the governments is going to make the Sikhs feel alienated, which is not good for the country. The parole of Gurmeet Ram Rahim should be cancelled immediately, and he should be locked up in jail," said Dhami.