Rape Convict Dera Chief Allowed To Leave Jail For First Time For 21 Days

Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh – serving a life time period for the homicide of his supervisor in 2002 and one other for the homicide of a journalist, in addition to a 20-year time period for the rape of two girls in 2017 – is anticipated to stroll out of jail in Haryana’s Rohtak this night after being granted a furlough of 21 days.

He had earlier been given three emergency (sunrise-to-sunset) paroles to satisfy his ailing mom and get medical check-ups.

This launch, nevertheless, comes lower than two weeks earlier than the Punjab polls, the place the BJP (in energy in Haryana) is seeking to oust the Congress.

Talking at a celebration occasion in the present day, Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar mentioned the furlough had nothing to do with any election. Each he and the state’s Jails Minister, Ranjit Singh Chautala, mentioned the Dera chief had been granted depart in accordance with established protocol.

Dera followers, and significantly these of Ram Rahim Singh, are influential in Punjab’s Malwa area, with their votes seen as key in deciding parliamentary and legislative elections.

The Malwa area has 69 constituencies – over half of the Punjab Meeting’s 117 seats.

Dera followers – who quantity within the crores and have been comparatively subdued since Rahim Singh was jailed – are extensively seen as voting in accordance with diktats from sect leaders.

In 2002 the sect was seen as extending behind-the-scenes help to the Congress.

In 2007 the help was open and the end result was spectacular, with the get together profitable 37 seats to the 29 claimed by the (then) BJP-Akali Dal alliance. Nonetheless, the Congress did not win that election after dropping within the Doaba and Majha areas.

For the 2012 election, the sect walked a tightrope by supporting candidates as a substitute of political events. And, in 2017, it backed the BJP-Akal Dal alliance however they have been overwhelmed.

This time all main events – together with the Congress, the BJP, and the Akali Dal, in addition to the AAP – have been seen with sect leaders in a bid to win over their followers’ votes.

Punjab’s Malwa area consists of Bathinda, Muktsar, Sangrur, Mansa, Patiala, Barnala, Faridkot, Moga, Ferozepur, Ludhiana and Mohali districts.

Punjab will vote for a brand new authorities in a single-phase ballot on February 20.

The election had initially been scheduled for February 14 however was postponed after political events requested the Election Fee to consider Guru Ravidas Jayanti celebrations.