CHANDIGARH: The Haryana govt is at liberty to consider granting rape-murder convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh " emergency parole " for another 20 days based on the "correctness of the circumstances" cited in his plea, chief electoral officer Pankaj Aggarwal said Monday, a day after seeking to know what "compelling" reasons existed to release the Dera Sacha Sauda chief.
Sources said govt cited the death anniversary of the dera chief's father, a blood donation camp and other activities at his ashram in UP as the reasons for him seeking fresh parole within a month of his previous 21-day furlough ending.
"After receiving a report from the state authorities, I have recommended that the jails department may consider his request after imposition of conditions for such release," Aggarwal said.
He had sought an explanation as the model code of conduct remains in force for the Oct 5 assembly election.
The dera head returned to Rohtak's Sunaria Jail, where he is serving time for convictions in rape and murder cases, on Sept 2 after his furlough. If he is release again for 20 days, he will have stayed out of jail for a total of 275 days, or over nine months, in the past four years.
The opposition suspects Ram Rahim's plea for emergency parole is linked to the assembly polls given his huge following and perceived ability to influence the electorate.
BJP has been accused of favouring the dera chief. In the seven years since his first conviction for rape in Aug 2017, BJP-governed Haryana has released him on eight occasions coinciding with either an assembly, parliamentary, municipal or panchayat election.
Sources said govt cited the death anniversary of the dera chief's father, a blood donation camp and other activities at his ashram in UP as the reasons for him seeking fresh parole within a month of his previous 21-day furlough ending.
"After receiving a report from the state authorities, I have recommended that the jails department may consider his request after imposition of conditions for such release," Aggarwal said.
He had sought an explanation as the model code of conduct remains in force for the Oct 5 assembly election.
The dera head returned to Rohtak's Sunaria Jail, where he is serving time for convictions in rape and murder cases, on Sept 2 after his furlough. If he is release again for 20 days, he will have stayed out of jail for a total of 275 days, or over nine months, in the past four years.
The opposition suspects Ram Rahim's plea for emergency parole is linked to the assembly polls given his huge following and perceived ability to influence the electorate.
BJP has been accused of favouring the dera chief. In the seven years since his first conviction for rape in Aug 2017, BJP-governed Haryana has released him on eight occasions coinciding with either an assembly, parliamentary, municipal or panchayat election.
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