Jailed Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim seeks parole coinciding with Haryana polls

Sources in the Haryana government told India Today TV that Gurmeet Ram Rahim has applied for a 20-day parole. The application has been sent to the Chief Election Officer for approval to avoid controversy, given the Dera chief's paroles and furloughs are often linked to elections.

In Short

• Gurmeet Ram Rahim's parole application raises political concerns
• Application sent to Chief Election Officer for approval
• Ram Rahim has been granted 259 days of temporary release since 2020

Controversial self-styled godman and Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s new parole application has raised eyebrows in political circles, as it again coincides with the upcoming Haryana Assembly election.

Sources in the Haryana government told India Today TV that Gurmeet Ram Rahim has applied for a 20-day parole, as he is eligible under the Haryana jail manual. The application has been sent to the Chief Election Officer for approval to avoid controversy, given the Dera chief’s paroles and furloughs are often linked to elections. He has been accused of influencing elections through his followers and had even established a political wing in his Dera.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim returned to Sunaria jail on September 2 after availing a 21-day furlough, granted on August 13. While no decision has been made yet on his current application, the timing is once again being linked to the elections.

While BJP leaders officially deny any political motivations, some within the party believe the Dera’s influence on voters could benefit the party, which is facing a decade-long anti-incumbency wave.

The Dera’s political influence within the BJP is apparent. The party has fielded Sunil Sangwan, a former Sunaria jail superintendent, from the Charkhi Dadri Assembly constituency. Sangwan was the jail superintendent when Gurmeet Ram Rahim was granted paroles or furloughs six times.

Since 2020, the jailed Dera chief has been granted 259 days of temporary release, including furloughs and paroles, and has been released from jail 14 times.

PAROLES COINCIDING WITH ELECTIONS

The Haryana government maintains that Gurmeet Ram Rahim was granted paroles and furloughs under the provisions of the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022. However, each time his release coincided with an election.

His January 19 parole was linked to the general elections, while his 21-day furlough from August 13 coincides with the Haryana Assembly election on October 5.

During the Punjab Assembly election in 2022, the Dera chief was released on a 21-day furlough from February 7 to February 27. His eighth release on June 17, 2022, aligned with the Haryana municipal elections.

Notably, during the Adampur by-election in Punjab on November 3 and the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections on November 12, 2022, Gurmeet was released for the ninth time on a 40-day furlough starting October 14.

GURMEET RAM RAHIM’s DERA POLITICS

Gurmeet Ram Rahim claims to have millions of followers in Punjab and Haryana. The Dera chief has also established a political wing within the Sirsa-based Dera to make political decisions.

In the past, the Dera has supported the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and BJP. However, the impact of these endorsements has varied.

The Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), the Sikh body that manages Sikh shrines, has voiced concerns over the frequent paroles and furloughs granted to the Dera chief. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed their plea, allowing Haryana to grant furloughs or paroles under the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022.

HARYANA GOVERNMENT’s AFFIDAVIT ON PAROLES

The Haryana government informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that 89 convicts have been granted parole or furlough under the same provisions. Only two convicts were denied temporary release due to their failure to meet the required conduct.

On August 11, the Punjab and Haryana High Court lifted restrictions on granting parole and furlough to Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The Haryana government is permitted to grant him up to 70 days of parole and 21 days of furlough under the 2022 Act.

The SGPC alleged misuse of the law in releasing Gurmeet Ram Rahim, but the court upheld the state’s decision.

The BJP-led Haryana government has assured the court that all parole and furlough applications will be considered in strict accordance with the jail manual, ensuring there is no arbitrariness, favouritism, or discrimination.

Under Section 2(1)(a) of the 2022 Act, the divisional commissioner of police, as the competent authority for Gurmeet Ram Rahim, is responsible for ensuring compliance with legal procedures without bias.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim is currently serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in murder and rape cases. He is lodged in Sunaria jail, Rohtak.