Jalandhar: Former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president and current Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi unit president Paramjit Singh Sarna has requested an appointment with Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Praveen Sood. The request comes in response to the agency's opposition to the parole plea of Jagtar Singh Hawara, while convicted Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim continues to receive repeated paroles.
Allegations of Selective Application of Legal Standards
Sarna stated that this contrast has created a widespread perception of selective application of legal standards and has intensified resentment among Sikhs. In a letter addressed to the CBI director, Sarna expressed deep concern within the Sikh community over the agency's stance before the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding Hawara's parole. He raised serious questions about what he described as unequal treatment in parole matters.
Comparison Between Hawara and Ram Rahim Cases
Sarna drew a direct contrast between Hawara's case and the latest parole granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who recently 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.
"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 in his letter.
Demand for Clarity and Formal Meeting
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.
