‘Taking legal view on request for Honeypreet, Dera chief meeting’

CHANDIGARH: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana seems to be favouring accused in the Panchkula violence, Honeypreet Insan, to meet her foster father and jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was convicted in August 2017 for raping two of his disciples and is now seeking parole. A Punjab minister said it is her right to meet Ram Rahim.

Officials told IANS the meeting between Ram Rahim and Honeypreet could create law and order problem in the state. The police in its report to the jail authorities did not favour the meeting.

State home minister Anil Vij on Monday said here “every person has the equal right to meet the convict and the law can’t stop anyone from meeting that person”.

“The government is taking legal opinion on the application of Honeypreet to meet Ram Rahim and if there is no issue, she can meet him,” he told the media.

But no decision has been taken on the issue so far, he added.

The self-styled godman, who has a huge following in this region, had earlier sought a parole of 42 days for tending the sprawling fields in his sect’s headquarters in Sirsa town, some 250 km from the state capital, but was declined owing to law and order problem with his release.

A court in Panchkula earlier granted bail to Honeypreet Insan in the case of violence after the self-styled godman’s sentence. Ram Rahim was sentenced in August 2017 to 20 years in jail for raping two women and later awarded life imprisonment for the murder of a journalist over 16 years ago. The 51-year-old is currently lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak.