Out on parole in rape case, 'godman' Ram Rahim flags off event; BJP leaders also attend

Currently out on parole, Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, virtually inaugurated a mega cleanliness campaign organised by his sect’s volunteers across multiple locations in Haryana and in some other states.

The event on Monday (January 23) saw the participation of a few senior BJP leaders from Haryana, including Rajya Sabha MP, Krishan Lal Panwar, and former minister, Krishan Kumar Bedi.

The Sirsa-headquartered sect chief, who is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples, walked out of the Sunaria prison in Haryana’s Rohtak on Saturday (January 21) after being granted a 40-day parole, and reached Barnawa Ashram in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat.

A video circulating on social media showed Ram Rahim celebrating by cutting a giant cake with a sword. He can be heard in the video saying, “Got a chance after five years to celebrate like this so I should cut at least five cakes. This is the first cake.”

The dera chief, in his bail application, had said that he wanted to attend a function in honour of the birth anniversary of the former dera chief, Shah Satnam Singh, on January 25.

This is the fourth time in the last 14 months that Ram Rahim has been granted parole.

Also read: Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s repeat paroles, and their links with elections

The BJP leaders and others, who virtually attended the launch, also extended their greetings on the birth anniversary of former Dera chief, Shah Satnam Singh, which falls on January 25.

Krishan Kumar Bedi, who is also Chief Minister M L Khattar’s OSD, and Panwar praised the cleanliness drive. The former minister said both he and Panwar visited the Sirsa Dera and handed over an invite for a February 3 state-level function connected with Sant Ravidas Jayanti in Narwana.

“I and Panwar-ji have come to Sirsa to extend the invite,” Bedi told the sect chief.

“We pray for your good health and your blessings always be with us,” Panwar told Ram Rahim.

The dera chief was convicted by a special CBI court in Panchkula in August 2017 for raping two women followers.

(With inputs from Agencies)