Ram Rahim earns Rs 20 a day in jail growing vegetables
"They just conducted a mock drill, but a section of media associated that to his health. He (Gurmeet) is healthy and doing fine," he said.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim serving a 20 year sentence after being convicted in two rape cases will earn Rs 20 per day. He will have to work 8 hours at jail growing vegetables and pruning trees.
The 50-year-old self-styled godman, who boasted of millions of followers, is lodged in Rohtak's Sunaria jail for raping his two disciples.
A special CBI court had sentenced him to 20 years in jail, 10 years each in two rape cases, on August 28. And the 'pita-ji', as his followers used to call him reverently, was stamped as prisoner number 1997.
Adjoining his barrack, there is a small plot of land where he will grow vegetables, K P Singh, DGP (jails), Haryana, told reporters toady in Panchkula.
"He
has
already
taken
up
his
work."Whatever
he
produces
will
be
used
in
the
jail
mess.
Born
in
the
Sri
Gurusar
Modia
village
in
Rajasthan's
Sri
Ganganagar
district
on
August
15,
1967,
Ram
Rahim
used
to
help
his
landlord
father
in
farms
during
his
early
years.
"In jail, he will also prune trees adjoining his barrack. He will get Rs 20 per day for farming work, which falls under the unskilled work category," the DGP (jails) said.
Normally, eight hours is maximum a prisoner is allowed to do, he said.He described the high-profile inmate as a "disciplined prisoner" as he dismissed reports that Ram Rahim was being extended any special treatment.
"It
is
(a)
baseless
and
imaginary
(report).
No
prisoner
in
jail
is
given
any
special
treatment
and
that
includes
Ram
Rahim,"
he
said,
adding
there
is
no
TV
set
in
his
cell.
"He
is
living
in
jail
like
any
other
ordinary
inmate
and
he
is
living
like
a
disciplined
inmate.
He
is
being
provided
the
same
food
as
given
to
other
prisoners."
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Asked for his response over reports which quoted some inmates, who have come out of the Sunaria prison, to claim that Ram Rahim is uncomfortable and breaks down in jail, the DGP said, "This is baseless".
"He
(Ram
Rahim)
does
not
have
common
contact
with
other
prisoners.
Access
to
his
barrack
is
controlled
(for
security
reasons),"
he
said.
Media
reports
about
his
health
and
other
activities
are
also
without
any
basis,
said
the
jail
officer.
Singh said Ram Rahim has provided two telephone numbers to prison authorities-- one of which is of his adopted daughter Honeypreet, and the other his own number he left behind at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa.
But, he has not made any special request to talk to Honeypreet and media reports suggesting this are "wrong", the officer said.
So far, police verification of these two numbers have not been conducted, he said. He said any prisoner is allowed to submit phone numbers of two blood-relatives whom they can call. Also, Ram Rahim has given 10 names who could meet him in the prison.
"We have sent these names to the Sirsa Police and so far we have got verification of his mother who has already met him," the officer said.
On August 25, the day the self-styled godman was convicted, there was widespread violence in Haryana and other neighbouring states. At least 36 people had died in the violence and arson, epicentre of which was Panchkula.
The Haryana Police has issued a lookout notice for Honeypreet in connection with the violence.
The DGP (jails) also said that Honeypreet, who had accompanied Ram Rahim in a helicopter after his conviction, was not allowed inside the jail. She was asked to sit outside the rest house of the prison and the police were intimated.
He said that for security considerations, Ram Rahim has been lodged in a barrack with only few prisoners who have a track record of "good conduct".
Besides,
jail
staff
with
impeccable
record
have
been
put
on
duty
near
his
barrack.
He
said
prison
authorities
have
taken
inputs
from
various
agencies
about
threat
perception
to
Ram
Rahim.
"On security grounds, only a few inmates have been kept in Ram Rahim's barrack. Only those prisoners whom we thought can be put there from security point of view, only they have access to his barrack," he said.
The police had recently conducted a mock drill and alerted PGIMS Rohtak in preparation for dealing with any medical emergency which would involve Ram Rahim being taken out of the prison.
"They just conducted a mock drill, but a section of media associated that to his health. He (Gurmeet) is healthy and doing fine," he said.
OneIndia News