Rohtak– Gurmeet Ram Rahim,the controversial chief of Dera Sacha Sauda and a convicted rapist, was released on parole for 21 days from Haryana’s Sunaria Jail early this morning. Ram Rahim walked out of the Rohtak district jail at approximately 6:30 AM, where two vehicles from the Dera’s ashram arrived to escort him to the sect’s Baghpat ashram in Uttar Pradesh.
This development follows closely on the heels of a legal decision by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which on August 9, 2024, dismissed a petition by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The SGPC had challenged the temporary release of Ram Rahim, arguing against the granting of parole. The High Court, while disposing of the petition, directed that the decision regarding the temporary release of the Dera chief should be made by the competent authority without any “arbitrariness or favoritism.”
Ram Rahim had previously petitioned the High Court in June 2024, requesting a 21-day furlough, which led to the latest parole decision. However, this decision comes despite a February 29, 2024, order from the High Court that instructed the Haryana government not to grant any further parole to Ram Rahim without the court’s explicit permission.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been serving a 20-year sentence since 2017 after being convicted of raping two female disciples. In addition to the rape charges, Ram Rahim and three accomplices were convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist, a crime that took place more than 16 years ago.
The decision to grant parole has sparked a debate, with critics questioning the timing and the repeated temporary releases granted to the Dera chief, who continues to wield significant influence among his followers.