Ram Rahim Grows Vegetables, Prune Trees For Rs 20 Per Day in Jail

He was master of the sprawling Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters at Sirsa till 28 August.

But, now incarcerated, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will spend his time in jail growing vegetables, pruning trees, eight hours a day just for Rs 20.

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 28 August. 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 on Tuesday in Panchkula. "He has already taken up his work," he said.

Whatever he produces will be used in the jail mess.

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. KP Singh, DGP

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 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. KP Singh, DGP

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 often 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). KP Singh, DGP

Media reports on his health and other activities do not have any basis, said the jail officer.

Singh said Ram Rahim has provided two telephone numbers to prison authorities, one of which belongs to his adopted daughter Honeypreet, and the other is his own number 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.