Ram Rahim Out On 40-Day Parole, Haryana CM Says It Is His Right And Won't Interfere

Gurmeet Ram Rahim who has been convicted in a rape case is out on parole. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar said that it's Rahim's right and he won't interfere in it.

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh ( Image Source :Twitter/ANI )

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who has been convicted for 20 years in a rape case, walked out of Haryana's Sunaria jail in Rohtak on a 40-day parole on Saturday. He reached Barnawa Ashram in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, reported news agency ANI. Haryana Jail Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala, while talking to ANI on Friday, said that Rahim is like every other prisoner, he also has his fundamental rights and can apply for parole after 3-5 years of imprisonment.

Chautala said: "Gurmeet Ram Rahim is like every other prisoner here and he also has his fundamental rights. After 3-5 years, a prisoner can apply for parole and it is not in our hands, competent authority decides on the bail."

Gurmeet Ram Rahim is like every other prisoner here and he also has his fundamental rights. After 3-5 years, a prisoner can apply for parole and it is not in our hands, competent authority decides on the bail: Ranjit Singh Chautala, Haryana Jail Minister pic.twitter.com/AlgaznKF11

— ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2023

Haryana's Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that he was not aware of the fact that Ram Rahim got parole. He further said that if Rahim got parole then it must have been after following all procedures, which is Gurmeet Ram Rahim's right, and he won't interfere in it. Khattar said: "Was not aware that Ram Rahim (Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh) got parole but if he has, then it must be after following all the procedures and that is his right. I will not interfere in that."

Was not aware that Ram Rahim ( Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh) got parole but if he has, then it must be after following all the procedures and that is his right. I will not interfere in that: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar pic.twitter.com/mGUEYF4Icq

— ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2023

The Dera chief’s last 40-day parole had ended on November 25 last year. He had gone to his Barnawa ashram in Uttar Pradesh after his release on October 14.

Parole means the release of a prisoner either temporarily for a special purpose or completely before the expiry of a sentence, on the promise of good behaviour, and a furlough is a short-term temporary release of convicts from jail. 

According to the 2010 Parole/Furlough Guidelines, to be eligible for parole, a person has to meet the following requirements:

- A convict must have served at least one year in jail, excluding any time spent in remission.

- The prisoner’s behaviour had to be uniformly good.

- The criminal should not have committed any crimes during the period of parole if it was granted previously.

- The convict should not have broken any of the terms and restrictions of his or her previous release.

- A minimum of six months should have passed since the previous parole was terminated

(With agency inputs)