A Chandigarh court on Friday turned down the plea of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for parole, PTI reported. Singh is currently serving life imprisonment in a jail in Rohtak for raping two of his disciples as well as ordering his followers to murder a Sirsa-based journalist.
Singh had said in his plea that he wanted to attend to his ailing mother. But Sunaria Jail Superintendent Sunil Sangwan found the application invalid, based on a report of the Sirsa deputy commissioner of police. The commissioner had considered the security implications of granting Singh parole as well as doctors’ opinion about his mother’s condition.
Sirsa Civil Surgeon Govind Gupta had examined Singh’s mother, Naseeb Kumar, 83. The Sirsa district administration sent Gupta’s report to Sunil Sangwan on Thursday.
The court had convicted four people in the murder case on January 11. Singh is currently serving a 20-year prison term in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail for raping two of his followers in 2002. He is also accused of murdering former Dera manager Ranjit Singh.
In April, the Punjab and Haryana High Court denied Singh interim bail to attend the marriage of his foster daughter, citing possible law and order problems ahead of the General Elections.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!