MSG, prisoner no. 1997, spent sleepless first night in jail

CHANDIGARH/ROHTAK: Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, head of Dera Sacha Sauda, which claims to have more than 60 million followers worldwide, became prisoner number 1997 of the Rohtak district jail in Sunaria following his conviction in the rape case on Friday. He was flown to the Sunaria jail and taken to his barracks at around 8.30pm after completion of prison formalities.

Sources in the jail said the self-styled godman had one chapati and a glass of milk in the night in his barracks.

He was awake the whole night and went off to sleep only at 5am after performing yoga for one hour, sources said. Denying allegations that Gurmeet was given any special treatment, jail officials said he reached Sunaria around 3.30 pm and after completing the formalities related to the entry of a prisoner, he was shifted to his cell immediately.


DGP (prisons) K P Singh also refuted reports that a woman accompanying Gurmeet was allowed into the jail.

“What we know is that he was shifted to his cell and he has been treated like any other inmate. We will not share details about his activities,” the DGP said.

Dera head’s adopted daughter Honeypreet Insan had accompanied him in the government chopper from Panchkula to Rohtak.

She continued to accompany him till he was shifted to the jail barracks, sources claimed. Subsequently, Honeypreet had left for a dera follower’s residence in Aryanagar area of Rohtak. She was shifted to some other place in Rohtak from there on Saturday. Sources said Gurmeet was kept in a special approval cell in which one person could be accommodated with normal facilities.

Jail authorities have not provided him any additional facility other than the ones availed by normal prisoners. A convict who works in the jail compound is entitled for Rs 20 per day, adding up to Rs 600 monthly.