HC to Ram Rahim’s kin: Seek video-conferencing for wedding

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 10

Hours before her marriage ceremony, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s foster daughter Guransh Insan on Friday moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court for his release on four-week parole to attend the wedding. The Bench suggested attendance through video-conferencing.

Justice Kuldip Singh suggested that she could always request the jail authorities to arrange for video-conferencing to enable him to attend the ceremony. The Bench said if such an application was filed, it was for the competent authorities to take a decision in accordance with the law.

Dismissing the plea, Justice Kuldip Singh asserted: “I am of view that once this court has decided not to release Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on parole to attend the marriage of his alleged foster daughter, this court cannot allow repeated applications on same or similar grounds by other alleged foster daughters, whose number may increase in the future, which may result in wastage of time of this court.”

Justice Kuldip Singh added that he was of the view that it was not a fit case for releasing Ram Rahim on parole. The Bench noted that he was not the legally adoptive father of the petitioner and there was no ground to grant parole, considering the serious allegations against him.

The Bench took note of a statement by the petitioner’s counsel that the petitioner had not been legally adopted by Ram Rahim and had mentioned him as father in all her school certificates. The counsel admitted that Ram Rahim had two biological daughters and 17 foster daughters.