Gurmeet Ram Rahim seeks 42-day parole to farm

Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is facing a 20-year jail for raping his two disciples, has sought a parole of 42 days for tendering sprawling fields in his sects headquarters in Haryana's Sirsa town, officials said on Sunday.

"We are awaiting a reply from central security and intelligence agencies and also from the Sirsa District Magistrate that whether his parole at this point in time is feasible or not," a government official told IANS, requesting anonymity.

The official said his parole could create law and order problem in the state at the time of his release and surrender later.

The self-styled godman was sentenced in August 2017 for 20 years in jail for raping two women.

A special CBI court in Panchkula this January also sentenced him and three others to life imprisonment for the murder of a journalist over 16 years ago.

The 51-year-old is currently lodged at the high-security Sunaria jail in Rohtak.

In the jail too, Ram Rahim spends most of his time growing vegetables and fruits and daily earns Rs 20 for eight hours for farming, which comes under the unskilled work category.

As per the jail superintendent, Ram Rahim's conduct in the jail is like a "disciplined inmate".

His conviction on August 25, 2017, had led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa, leaving 41 people dead and over 260 injured.

Ram Rahim was patronized by political leaders and parties of Punjab and Haryana for nearly two decades due to his ability to shift votes of his followers.