HC asks Haryana govt to furnish basis for granting furlough to Dera Sacha Sauda chief
India Today
Punjab and Haryana HC has asked Haryana govt to furnish the basis on which Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was granted a 21-day furlough earlier this month.
A petition in the Punjab and Haryana HC has challenged the furlough granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The high court, taking cognizance of the petition, has issued a notice to the Haryana government in this regard.
Haryana government has been given time until Monday to furnish the basis on which Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was granted furlough earlier this month.
The petition in the high court challenging furlough granted to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been filed by a resident of Punjab's Patiala.
READ: Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's release: Decoding the political significance
In the plea, the petitioner stated that Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been found guilty on serious charges and is accused in multiple other criminal cases which are still being heard by courts.
To grant such a person furlough just before the assembly elections is wrong, says the petition. It goes on to allege that Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh could wield his influence to alter the outcome of the Punjab polls, which is why the furlough granted to him should be canceled.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is the leader of the religious sect Dera Sacha Sauda. The sect headquartered in Haryana's Sirsa has thousands of followers in the poll-bound states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
