Honeypreet meets jailed Dera chief Ram Rahim second time in month

Chandigarh, December 23 

Jail authorities in Haryana on Monday allowed Honeypreet Insan, accused in the Panchkula violent incidents, to meet jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who was convicted in 2017 for raping two of his disciples.

This was the second meeting between them in jail in less than a month. Last time she met the dera chief on December 9.

Officials told IANS that the meeting between Ram Rahim and Honeypreet on Monday lasted for half-an-hour amidst the presence of lawyers.

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

Last month, state Home Minister Anil Vij had said it is Honeypreet’s right to meet her foster father Ram Rahim like any other individual.

He had said that “every person has the equal right to meet the convict and the law can’t stop anyone from meeting that person”.

The self-styled godman, who has a huge following in this region, had earlier sought a parole of 42 days for tending to the sprawling fields in his sect headquarters in Sirsa town, some 250 km from Chandigarh, but was refused owing to law and order fears.

A court in Panchkula last month granted bail to Honeypreet in the case of violence that erupted following the self-styled godman’s sentencing.

Her bail came days after the trial court dropped sedition charges against Honeypreet and 35 other accused. She is currently staying in the sect’s headquarters.

Ram Rahim was sentenced in August 2017 to 20 years in jail for raping two women.

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

Ram Rahim was patronised by political leaders and parties of both Punjab and Haryana for nearly two decades due to his ability to shift the votes of his followers. — IANS