Parole over, dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim back in jail

Rohtak, November 25

Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was released from the Sunaria jail in Rohtak on 40-day parole on October 15, returned to the jail this evening.

The dera chief, who is undergoing imprisonment for the rape of his two disciples and the murder of a journalist, released a video song titled “Chat pe Chat” on social media hours before his return to the prison.

The song exhorts people, especially the youngsters, to avoid overindulgence in online chatting and gaming as these have adverse effects on their health.

The dera chief had courted controversy after he released a video message soon after his release on parole. In the message issued after reaching Barnawa ashram at Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, he had asked his disciples to follow the directions of the responsible persons and not to act as per their own will.

While analysts saw political overtones in the video message, the dera management clarified that the message was merely an appeal to the dera followers not to rush to the Barnawa ashram as it led to massive gathering there.

The grant of parole to the dera head had raised many a eyebrow, especially because he was also granted 21-day furlough and one-month regular parole earlier this year.

As per the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022, which was notified on April 11, 2022, convicted prisoners can be granted regular parole for 10 weeks in a calendar year in two parts.