Chandigarh
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday reserved order on a plea by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), filed in January 2023, against frequent paroles to Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
After hearing arguments from all parties, the high court bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Anil Kshetarpal reserved the plea for the final order.
The plea filed in January 2023 said his (Ram Rahim’s) paroles may “jeopardise the sovereignty, integrity of India and for maintaining public harmony, peace and social fabrics in the country”. The grant of parole to him could have “disastrous consequences”, as he himself claims to be a “messenger of god” and has added surnames of “baba”, “maharaja” etc and is in the “habit of giving poisonous propaganda against the Guru Granth Sahib, which is revered as ‘living guru’ by the Sikhs at large, the PIL had contended.
During proceedings of this PIL on February 29, the court had restrained Haryana from granting him parole/ furlough without the permission of the court. Subsequently, Ram Rahim had moved the court seeking modification of the order.
Seeking furlough in his latest application, he had argued that his plea for furlough before authorities relates to Article 21 of the Constitution (Protection for life and liberty) and that 91 days of temporary release in a calendar year is a statutory right of a prisoner if he is found eligible. Hence, the February 29 order should be modified, he had argued.
{{/usCountry}}Seeking furlough in his latest application, he had argued that his plea for furlough before authorities relates to Article 21 of the Constitution (Protection for life and liberty) and that 91 days of temporary release in a calendar year is a statutory right of a prisoner if he is found eligible. Hence, the February 29 order should be modified, he had argued.
{{/usCountry}}According to the record submitted in the high court, Ram Rahim, whose jail journey began on August 25, 2017, was granted temporary release from prison for the ninth time on January 19 for 50 days. He is lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak district.
Ram Rahim has been convicted for 20 years of jail in two rape cases (2017) and life term for conspiring murder of a journalist (2019). The high court on May 28 had acquitted him in the case of the murder of former dera manager, Ranjit Singh, in 2002. He is also an accused in multiple FIRs related to 2015 sacrilege incidents pending probe in Punjab.