Haryana polls: Ex-jailer, who gave parole to Ram Rahim 6 times, in BJP’s candidates’ list
Sunil Sangwan was the superintendent of Sunaria Jail in Rohtak where rape accused Gurmeet Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year jail term for rape
The BJP’s first list of candidates for the Haryana Assembly polls includes Sunil Sangwan, a former superintendent of Rohtak’s Sunaria Jail, who during his tenure had granted Dera Sacha Sauda chief and rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim parole six times.
The party, which released its first list of 67 candidates on Wednesday (September 4), has fielded Sunil from the Charkhi Dadri seat.
Sunil had retired from service and joined the BJP ahead of the polls.
Paroles to ‘godman’ ahead of polls
Last month, Ram Rahim was given a 21-day furlough. It is his 10th parole in the past four years.
He is serving a 20-year jail sentence for raping two of his disciples.
The self-styled godman, who is said to have a massive following in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, has been mostly granted parole ahead of elections.
In January this year, when the country was gearing up for the General Elections, he was let out on a 50-day parole, while he was given a 21-day parole in November ahead of the Assembly elections in Rajasthan last year.
Who is pitted against Sunil Sangwan?
It is being speculated Somveer Sangwan, the sitting MLA of the Charkhi Dadri seat, who had won in 2019 as an Independent, may join the Congress if the party gives him a ticket for the seat.
A former BJP leader, Sangwan had contested from the seat as an Independent candidate in 2019, after being disgruntled with the party’s decision to choose wrestler Babita Phogat over him in the seat.