Ganesh Kendale
CHANDIGARH: In a fiercely contested race for the Charkhi Dadri assembly seat in Haryana, former jailer Suneel Sangwan – who came into limelight after he headed Haryana’s high security jail in Sunaria in Rohtak where head of Dera Sacha Sauda Gurmeet Ram Rahim was lodged in 2017 after his conviction in rape and murder cases – registered victory in his very first election, reports Ajay Sura.
Ram Rahim was released from jail on parole several times while Sangwan was superintendent of Sunaria jail. But parole on these occasions was as per state govt’s discretion in which a jail superintendent has no role to play. The jail superintendent can only grant emergency parole for a maximum of a couple of days.
Sangwan clarified during his campaign that on three occasions, he had rejected Dera chief’s plea for emergency parole. He resigned from the post of jail superintendent just ahead of filing his nomination papers in Sept and joined BJP, with the aim of making an entry into Haryana politics. He even kicked off his poll campaign by announcing his own manifesto to drive development in the youngest district of state.
With two children in Indian Army serving on the front – his son Captain Manav Sangwan stationed in Siachen and daughter Navya Sangwan in the North-East – Sangwan faced a tough electoral battle against an IRS officer’s wife, Manisha Sangwan.
