HC Pulls Up Haryana Govt For 182 Days Parole In 2 Yrs To Gurmeet Ram Rahim, Stays Further Grant

The high court asked the Haryana government to file an affidavit with details of how many persons having such criminal antecedents and sentenced in three cases have been granted this benefit.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday pulled up the Haryana Government for granting parole for 91 days each in 2022 as well as 2023 to self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The high court asked the Haryana government to file an affidavit with details of how many persons having such criminal antecedents and sentenced in three cases have been granted this benefit.

Ram Rahim who is also currently out on Parole till March 10, has been convicted in three cases. The court directed him to surrender on March 10 to jail authorities and said that Haryana government authorities shall not consider his case for grant of further parole till further orders without the permission of high court.

"Let a necessary affidavit be filed before the next date of hearing. In the meantime, the said respondent may surrender on the date fixed i.e. 10.03.2024 and thereafter the State authorities shall not consider his case for grant of further parole till further orders without the permission of this Court. The State of Haryana shall also file necessary custody certificates to the effect that the said respondent has surrendered on the date fixed." the court order read.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji said that this case makes interesting reading keeping in view the background and the antecedents of Ram Rahim, who has conviction in three cases against him, has been released for 91 days each in the years 2022 and 2023. 

"It is also to be noticed that inspite of the pendency of the present petition in which notice of motion was issued on 29.01.2023, the State Haryana has still chosen to grant him indulgence of parole again on 20.07.2023, 21.11.2023 and 19.01.2024 for a period of 30, 21 and 50 days." the court said.

The high court passed the order on hearing the plea filed by Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee in 2023 challenging the parole granted to Ram Rahim.

In 2017, the self-styled godman was convicted for raping two women by the Special Judge, CBI. He has been sentenced with rigourous imprisonment for life.