As Ram Rahim walks out again, Sarna questions CBI over Hawara parole

Jalandhar: Former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president and now Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi unit president Paramjit Singh Sarna has sought an appointment with Central Bureau of Investigation director Praveen Sood over the agency's opposition to the parole plea of Jagtar Singh Hawara, "while convicted Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim continues to receive repeated paroles".He said the contrast created a widespread perception of selective application of legal standards and intensified resentment among Sikhs.In a letter addressed to the CBI director, Sarna said the agency's stand before the Punjab and Haryana high court on Hawara's parole caused deep concern within the Sikh community and raised serious questions about what he described as unequal treatment in parole matters.Sarna drew a direct contrast between Hawara's case and the latest parole granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who walked out of a jail in Haryana after being granted a 30-day parole. The Dera head, convicted in a rape case and serving a 20-year sentence, has now received parole or furlough 16 times since his conviction in 2017, Sarna said."Such repeated relief in a case involving grave criminal offences raises serious questions in the minds of ordinary citizens when, at the same time, parole is opposed in the case of Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara," Sarna wrote.Seeking a formal meeting with the CBI chief along with a delegation of party colleagues, Sarna said the Sikh community wanted clarity on the basis on which such positions were being adopted by investigative agencies and authorities.The development comes amid renewed debate over parole decisions in high-profile cases and the differing approaches adopted by authorities in politically and socially sensitive matters. MSID: 131330155 413 |