Now Reading: Sikh leaders slam Ram Rahim furlough, question Bandi Singhs’ detention
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Sikh leaders slam Ram Rahim furlough, question Bandi Singhs’ detention
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh walked out of Sunaria jail on a 21-day furlough on Tuesday, drawing sharp criticism from Sikh religious leaders. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh…
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh walked out of Sunaria jail on a 21-day furlough on Tuesday, drawing sharp criticism from Sikh religious leaders. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj said it was the 17th time the rape convict had been released since his 2017 conviction, calling it unfair that he got frequent releases while Sikh prisoners who had completed their sentences remained behind bars.
Gargajj noted that Jagtar Singh Hawara, serving life for the 1995 assassination of then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, has not been granted parole to meet his ailing mother. The Qaumi Insaaf Morcha has been protesting since January 2023 for the release of Bandi Singhs, the term for Sikhs convicted in militancy cases from the 1990s insurgency. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already backed a 10-day parole for Hawara.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The 17 releases of Ram Rahim since 2017, while Bandi Singhs remain in jail, revive a charged political fault line in Punjab. The Shiromani Akali Dal has historically campaigned for these prisoners, and the Mann government's backing of Hawara's parole puts the Aam Aadmi Party in a delicate spot between the Sikh clergy and the courts. Haryana's jail manual allows furloughs up to 28 days for good conduct, but each release here is watched by a Sikh electorate that votes in assembly elections due in 2027. The high court will next hear the matter on the state's furlough policy on 15 September.
Source: indiatoday.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
