New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Haryana on Sunday asked the state government to clarify the “compelling circumstances” justifying the temporary release of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the Dera Sacha Sauda Chief, for 20 days just ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.
Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples and for the murder of a journalist. He has once again sought parole for 20 days, with the request coming just ahead of the October 5 Haryana Assembly polls.
The parole request has raised concerns as it was made so close to the elections, prompting the jail administration to forward the application to the Election Commission (EC). In response, the CEO has questioned the prisons department, demanding an explanation of the “compelling emergent reasons” for the parole, as required by EC guidelines.
As per an EC directive issued in April 2019 to all states, parole should only be granted in cases of “extreme emergency” and strict measures should be taken to ensure that the convict does not engage in any election-related activities during the time when they are out on parole.
Ram Rahim was previously granted a 21-day furlough on August 13, 2024, making it the tenth time in four years that he has received a temporary release. This year alone, he has already been on parole for 50 days.
The Opposition has accused Ram Rahim of attempting to leverage the parole to gain political advantage during the forthcoming elections.
Ram Rahim was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in August 2017 for the sexual assault of two women. Additionally, in January 2019, a special CBI court in Panchkula sentenced him and three others to life imprisonment for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, a case dating back 16 years.
Following his conviction on August 25, 2017, violent protests erupted in Panchkula and Sirsa, resulting in the deaths of 41 people and injuries to over 260 others.
–IANS
rs/rad
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
