New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been provided Z-plus security cover during his 21-day release on furlough from a Haryana jail, officials said on Tuesday.
He has been given the high security cover due to threat to his life from 'pro-Khalistan' extremists, officials added.
Rahim is on 21-day furlough from Sunaria jail and is camping in Gurugram. He will be getting 10 NSG security personnel for mobile security and eight security personnel for his residence security. The Haryana government's recommendation to grant the top layer security cover to the convicted sect leader comes following his request.
The Dera chief was released on furlough on February 7 after the Haryana government's conclusion that he does not fall in the category of hardcore prisoners.
Incidently, the 21-day furlough had come just days ahead of the Assembly polls in Punjab that was held on February 20 and he has a large number of followers, particularly in Bathinda, Sangrur, Patiala and Muktsar.
The sect chief has been currently serving life imprisonment for the murder of former journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati and the rape of two Dera disciples. He was convicted by a special CBI court in Panchkula in 2017.
Soon after his release from the Sunaria jail in Rohtak, he was brought to his ashram in Gurugram. The Haryana police has deployed a heavy security in and near his ashram.
According to the officials, now the foreign travelers will be allowed to visit India without a mandatory quarantine. The government's move came 20 months after the pandemic situation improved in the country.
Gurkirat Singh, who was the chief guest at Punjab Day Function held during the ongoing India International Trade Fair 2021 at Pragati Maidan, also urged the Central government for reopening of Kartarpur Corridor, which has been closed since March 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Acceding to a long-pending demand of former Olympians, Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Pargat Singh on Monday announced to waive the condition of income limit on pension of medal winner international players.
Out of the total surveyed people in Punjab, 52.1 per cent think that the new party of ex-Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will hurt the Congress, as per the ABP-CVoter-IANS 5-State Snap Poll.
The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking removal of the then Delhi Police Commissioner S N Srivastava from his post and punishment for police officials who allegedly failed to discharge their duty during the farmers' tractor rally in the national capital on January 26 (Republic Day).
The West Bengal government is planning to bring a resolution in the Assembly against the extension of jurisdiction of the BSF in the state. After Punjab, West Bengal will be the second state to bring such a resolution.
