Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, leader of the Dera Sacha Sauda, was given a 20-day parole by the Haryana government on Tuesday, just days before the state’s assembly elections. Rahim received a 20-year prison sentence following his conviction for raping two of his disciples. Despite this, the Election Commission has established strict conditions for granting parole to the individual convicted of rape. Among the stipulated conditions is a prohibition on Rahim’s entry into Haryana, as well as restrictions on giving public speeches and engaging in political activities, according to PTI. In a communication to the additional chief secretary of the Haryana Jail Department, the state’s chief electoral officer referred to a September 30 message from the administration that detailed the “emergency and compelling reasons” cited by the convict in his request for a 20-day parole. “Considering the aforementioned letters, the state government may evaluate the request for a 20-day parole for convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is currently imprisoned in Rohtak district jail, contingent upon the accuracy of the emergency and compelling reasons mentioned in your September 30 letter,” stated the CEO. “Additionally, a close watch should be maintained on the convict’s movements to ensure he does not participate in any election-related activities.” The letter stated, “If he is discovered engaging in any inappropriate behavior, his parole should be immediately revoked,” as reported by PTI. The leader of Dera Sacha Sauda had requested a 20-day parole on Sunday. Singh was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2017 for raping two of his followers. In May, the high court cleared him and four others of the 2002 murder of the sect’s former manager, Ranjit Singh, citing investigations that were “tainted and sketchy.” A special CBI court had earlier sentenced them to life in prison in the nearly 20-year-old case, with Singh being found guilty of planning a criminal conspiracy alongside his co-accused.
