HC dismisses plea seeking ‘pravachan’ of dera chief from jail

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday dismissed a plea seeking directions to make arrangement for broadcasting of 'pravachan' (discourse) of rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh from Rohtak jail.
Justice Daya Chaudhary of the HC dismissed the plea filed by Malwa Insan Followers Dera Sacha Sauda Association through its president Dev Raj Goyal of the Bathinda district after observing that there was no merit in such a demand.

The petitioning society had sought directions for the Haryana government and the state prison authorities to make arrangement for recorded/live /internet broadcasting of Gurmeet's pravachan.

It had also been prayed to issue direction to make proper arrangement for broadcasting to save the belief of devotees of the dera in view of Article 51A (d) of the Constitution of India as well as declaration declared by United Nations basic principles for the treatment of prisoners adopted and proclaimed by the general assembly resolution 45/111 of December 14, 1990.

Gurmeet is at present confined to Sunaria jail in Rohtak after he was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment by a special CBI judge in two rape cases. He was convicted on August 25, 2017.