Haryana Govt has bowed down to Ram Rahim: Anshul Chhatrapati

Ram Chander Chhatrapati was killed in Sirsa after his newspaper published an anonymous letter alleging the sexual exploitation of women by Ram Rahim at his Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters.

Anshul Chhatrapati also said that the Haryana government has bowed down to him.

Objecting to the 40-day parole given to Ram Rahim, Chhatrapati raised allegations against the government and said, "Dera Chief has been misusing his influence and the government has also bowed down to him."

Ram Rahim has been incarcerated, since 2017, in Haryana's Sunaria jail where he is serving a 20-year term for raping two women disciples at his ashram's headquarters in Sirsa. He was also convicted in 2019, along with three others, in the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati (Anshul's father) about 16 years ago and the murder of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh.

It was alleged that Ranjit Singh, a resident of village Khanpur Kolian, Kurukshetra was murdered on July 10, 2002, when he was working in his fields at village Khanpur Kolian of District Kurukshetra in Haryana.

After a thorough investigation, CBI filed a charge sheet in 2007 against six accused and charges were framed in 2008 while, on October 8, 2021, the court convicted Rahim and four others in connection with former Dera manager Ranjit Singh's murder case.

Anshul has objected to the parole to Ram Rahim and said that he has been given parole for the second time in the last 56 days. In October last year, the Haryana government granted parole for 40 days to Ram Rahim, he added.

"The Dera chief was also granted parole on October 14 last year. At that time, after getting parole, he spent full time in Barnawa Ashram in Uttar Pradesh. Ram Rahim has come out of jail for the fourth time in 12 months. Before October 2022, the Haryana government granted him parole for one month. He was also given a three-week furlough on February 7, 2022, two weeks before the Punjab assembly elections.

While parole means the release of a prisoner either temporarily for a special purpose or completely before the expiry of a sentence, on the promise of good behaviour, a furlough is a short-term temporary release of convicts from jail.

Ram Rahim was released on 40-day parole on Saturday. The Dera Sacha Sauda chief has been serving a 20-year sentence for rape and murder in Rohtak's Sunaria Jail in Haryana.

Reacting to this, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that it is the Dera Sacha Sauda chief's right and he must have got it after following all the procedures.

He further said that if the Dera Sacha Sauda chief has got parole, it must be after following all the procedures and he will not interfere in that.

"I was not aware that Ram Rahim got parole but if he has, then it must be after following all the procedures and that is his right. I will not interfere in that," said Khattar.

Meanwhile, Haryana Jail Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala also said, "Gurmeet Ram Rahim is like every other prisoner here and he also has his fundamental rights. After 3-5 years, a prisoner can apply for parole and it is not in our hands, competent authority decides on the bail."

"The Dera chief's family have submitted an application to the jail authorities seeking month-long parole for Ram Rahim on his behalf but it will be decided by the court and commissioner for how many days he will get parole and where will he stay during this time," Haryana Jail Minister confirmed on Friday. (ANI)