Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh

ROHTAK/AMRITSAR: Dera Sacha Sauda controversial chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh failed to get time out from jail after an emergency bail application, filed by his mother Naseeb Kaur seeking his a threeweek parole, was rejected by the authorities in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail.

The Dera chief is presently lodged in jail after his conviction in rape and murder cases. The special CBI court in Panchkula had on August 25, 2017 convicted him for rape of two sadhvis (female disciples) and sentenced him to 20-year imprisonment. On January 17, 2019, the CBI court had sentenced him to life imprisonment for the 2002 murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati.

He is facing trial in two more cases — one involving castration of almost 400 dera followers in Sirsa and second involving murder of former dera manager Ranjit Singh.

The dera chief was not eligible for the benefit of threemonth parole as provided by the state government to convicts, on the recommendation of Haryana Legal Services Authority. All convicts sentenced for heinous crime, including rape, acid attacks, under NDPS Act or Pocso were denied parole.

Sources said his mother had applied for the three week parole application citing her poor health and need of her son during the lockdown.

Acting on the application, the local jail authorities had written to Sirsa district administration, where the dera chief's mother lives, to file their report on the bail application. The team of doctors constituted by the Sirsa administration found Naseeb Kaur stable and not in any grave danger.

The police also cited in their report that permission to dera chief during lockdown may invite assembly of his followers in large numbers thus violating the norms of lockdown and they also feared that it might create law and order problem in the district.

After receiving the Sirsa district administration's report, the Sunaria jail authorities rejected the application filed under the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 1988.

Last year, the dera chief had tried for months to secure parole using different reasons — foster daughter Guransh Insan’s marriage, for farming, and mother's ill-health — and withdrew the applications.

The parole decision comes after acting jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Harpreet Singh released a video in which he quoted ‘ reliable sources’ as saying that there was apprehension the dera chief would be released on parole by the Haryana government.

Stating that it would be unfortunate if the Haryana government had any plans to release Gurmeet on parole, the Sikh high priest said the decision could be detrimental to peace in Punjab and Haryana since it had the potential to provoke Sikhs. “The Haryana government should refrain from taking any decision that could spoil an atmosphere of goodwill, brotherhood and peace in Haryana and Punjab,” he said.

Haryana jail minister Ranjeet Chautala denied there was any pressure and said the application was assessed according to law. It was rejected following procedure.

The state government has got nothing to do with the legal process and it does not buckle under any pressure. The Sirsa administration feared law and order problem hence declined to grant him parole, Chautala added.

