The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Haryana government not to grant any further parole to Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, convicted in rape and murder cases, without the Court’s permission.
The self-styled godman is presently out on parole from January 19 and has to surrender on March 10 at 5 pm. He has been repeatedly granted the benefit of parole since 2022.
The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji directed the Haryana government that after Ram Rahim surrendered on March 10, the State shall not consider his case for further parole without the Court’s permission.
The State was further directed to file necessary custody certificate to the effect that the said respondent has surrendered on the date fixed.
The public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee said that Ram Rahim was released for 91 days each in 2022 and 2023.
During the pendency of the PIL filed last year against one such parole order, the Court remarked that Haryana government still chose to grant Ram Rahim the ‘indulgence’ of parole three times for a period of 30, 21 and 50 days.
The Bench noted that repeated grant of parole to a person who has been convicted in three cases, was ‘interesting’.
It further directed the Haryana government to file an affidavit giving details about how many persons having such criminal antecedents had been granted such similar benefit of parole before the next date of hearing,” ordered the Court.
Ram Rahim was first convicted in a case of rape in 2017 by a Panchkula Court and sentenced to consecutive imprisonment of ten years each for rape of two victims.
In 2019, he was convicted in a case of conspiracy for murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. In 2021, he was again convicted in another murder case and sentenced to life.
The repeated grant of parole in his favour by Haryana government has received criticism from various quarters.