However, the Election Commission has set stringent terms for granting the parole to the rape convict. Among the conditions set is a ban on Rahim’s entry in Haryana, delivering public speeches and participating in political activity, reported PTI.
In a letter to the additional chief secretary of the Haryana Jail Department, the state chief electoral officer referenced a September 30 communication from the administration that outlined the “emergency and compelling reasons” provided by the convict in his request for a 20-day parole.
“In view of the above mentioned letters, the state government may consider the matter regarding grant of parole (20 days) to convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh confined in district jail, Rohtak, subject to the correctness of the facts regarding emergency and compelling reasons as mentioned in your letter dated September 30,” said the CEO.
“Further, a strict watch should be kept on the movement of convict and it should be ensured that he does not indulge in any election-related activity. If he is found indulging in any objectionable activity, his parole should be cancelled forthwith,” the letter read, according to a PTI report.
The Dera Sacha Sauda chief had sought the 20-day parole on Sunday.Singh was sentenced in 2017 to 20 years in prison for the rape of two of his disciples. In May, the high court acquitted him and four others in the 2002 murder of the sect’s former manager, Ranjit Singh, citing “tainted and sketchy” investigations. A special CBI court had previously sentenced them to life imprisonment in the nearly 20-year-old case, with Singh found guilty of orchestrating a criminal conspiracy with his co-accused.
