Ram Rahim returns to Sirsa on parole after over 7 years

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who is serving a life sentence in the murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, and also serving jail term for 10 years in rape cases, made his first appearance in nearly seven and a half years before his disciples at the dera headquarters in Sirsa today.

Ram Rahim was in a car, reportedly escorted by about 10 to 15 vehicles. The police and his personal security made a security ring around the dera complex. This is the 12th time he had come out of the jail after conviction.

Curiously, his exit from jail on parole/furlough coincides with any election in the region. Last time, he came out of the jail just before the state Assembly elections. Now, the Delhi poll is scheduled on February 5, and it is stated that the dera has a certain following in Delhi as well. Sources indicated that the dera followers had an inclination towards the BJP during the previous poll.

The dera chief made a low-key return to the complex at around 8 am after getting parole from the Sunaria Jail in Rohtak. He reportedly went straight inside his residence without meeting anybody. The sources said there were about 20 to 50 persons inside his residence at the dera headquarters, and his disciple Honeypreet was also at the residence.

Ram Rahim briefly appeared on the official YouTube channel at about 9.30 am to appeal to his followers not to visit the dera headquarters during his stay. The sources said he remained inside the residence till 5 pm, when he came out to his satsang premises to address his followers.

In his over an hour-long address to the audience, which included nearly 1,500 persons, including women, in front of him and via live zoom connectivity at about 100 places across India and abroad, he was all praise for PM Narendra Modi. He also solemnised a marriage of a young couple from Rajasthan during the satsang.

Ram Rahim is currently on a 30-day regular parole, which allows him to visit Sirsa and Barnawa in Uttar Pradesh, informed Jitender Khurana, dera spokesperson.

To ensure security, a four-tiered system was put in place by the police. The first layer consists of his personal guards, followed by police personnel in the second layer, a mix of dera staff and police officers at the main gate in the third layer, and 31 checkpoints throughout the complex in the fourth layer, where vehicles are being checked.

Linked to elections

Ram Rahim's exit from jail on parole/furlough coincides with election in the region. Last time, he came out of the jail before the state Assembly poll. Now, the Delhi poll is scheduled on February 5. It is said the dera has following in Delhi, too.