Dera Sacha Sauda chief and rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has once again got 21 days furlough. On Tuesday morning around 6:30 am, Gurmeet was taken out of Haryana’s Sunaria jail under police protection. From here he reached Barnawa Ashram located in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh directly. He will spend the furlough period in this ashram. Gurmeet has got furlough or parole 10 times since 2020. Now, just before the Haryana elections, Ram Rahim’s release again has also caused discussions in the political corridors.
In fact, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and opposed the continuous granting of parole or furlough to Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The SGPC had cited potential public harm. The HC had reserved the order on the petition of the SGPC. Now the court has rejected that petition and allowed temporary release of Sirsa’s Dera sect chief Gurmeet.
The court said- this is a matter of the state government
Related news
- ‘Girls, don’t come to India…’, influencer’s post on Kolkata rape case creates uproar
- Khel Khel Mein Review: Akshay’s best comedy in many years, ‘Khel Khel Mein’ gives a social message with great love
- ‘We are preparing for the 2036 Olympics to be held in India’, PM Modi’s big announcement from Red Fort
- Committee’s game, lucky draw scam and gold and silver in exchange for cash… Inside story of Saharanpur suicide case
- Started before independence… even today these 7 Indian companies are famous in the world, they make these products
A bench of HC Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Khetrawal said, it is a matter of the state government and the competent authority can decide on parole. The court said that during his temporary release period, Gurmeet will go to Dera Ashram in Barnawa, Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. Earlier in June, Gurmeet had approached the High Court and demanded 21 days of furlough. Since on February 29, the High Court had directed the Haryana government not to grant any more parole to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief without my permission. Gurmeet was granted 50 days parole on January 19 this year.
Whenever Ram Rahim is granted parole or furlough, questions are raised on the jail administration and the government.
When did Gurmeet get parole or furlough?
- 24 October 2020: For the first time, Ram Rahim got one day parole to meet his mother who was admitted in hospital.
- 21 May 2021: For the second time, he was granted 12 hours parole to meet his mother.
- 7 February 2022: The Dera chief got 21 days furlough to meet his family.
- June 2022: Got parole for 30 days. Sent to Baghpat Ashram in UP.
- October 14, 2022: Ram Rahim was granted parole for 40 days. He stayed at the Baghpat Ashram and also released music videos during this period.
- 21 January 2023: He got parole for 40 days for the sixth time. He came out of jail to attend the birth anniversary of Shah Satnam Singh.
- 20 July 2023: He came out of jail for the seventh time on 30-day parole.
- November 21, 2023: Ram Rahim went to Baghpat Ashram on 21 days furlough.
- 19 January 2024: He came out of jail on parole for 50 days. This was the time when the Lok Sabha elections were near.
- 13 August 2024: The High Court approved the 21-day furlough. Now it is being said that the assembly elections in Haryana and by-elections in UP are near.
Why are questions being asked linked to the elections?
In fact, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda had announced to support BJP in the recently held Lok Sabha elections. Not only this, Dera Sacha Sauda had appointed a 15-member committee for election duty. The Dera has influence in districts adjoining the Punjab-Haryana border like Sirsa, Kurukshetra, Kaithal.
The first and only case in the country
In the last four years after going to jail, Ram Rahim has been granted parole and furlough for a total of more than 254 days. That means Gurmeet has been allowed to leave the jail for more than 8 months. This figure includes the 21 days of furlough granted just now. This is probably the first and only case in the country where so many paroles and furloughs have been granted so frequently.
Why is Gurmeet serving his sentence?
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is serving a 20-year sentence for raping two of his disciples and is lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak district of Haryana. He was sentenced in 2017. Apart from this, Dera chief Gurmeet and three others were convicted in 2019 in the 16-year-old journalist murder case.
Earlier in May, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Gurmeet Ram Rahim and four others in the 22-year-old (2002) Ranjit Singh murder case. All of them were convicted by a special CBI court in Panchkula in 2021. Gurmeet was convicted of criminal conspiracy.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)