Punjab and Haryana HC bars Haryana Government from granting parole to Dera chief Ram Rahim without its approval

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, February 29

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday made it clear that the State of Haryana would not consider Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s case for further parole without its permission. The directions would remain in force till further orders.

The direction came after the Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji observed that Ram Rahim was released for 91 days each in 2022 and 2023. Referring to a chart mentioning the details of parole/furlough granted to him, the Bench observed it made “interesting reading” keeping in view the background and the antecedents of respondent-Ram Rahim convicted in three cases against him.

“It is also to be noticed that in spite of the pendency of the present petition in which notice of motion was issued on January 29, 2023, the State Haryana has still chosen to grant him indulgence of parole again on July 20, 2023, November 21, 2023 and January 19 for a period of 30, 21 and 50 days,” the Bench observed.

The directions and observations came on a petition filed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee challenging the order granting temporary release. The Bench added it would like the State of Haryana to furnish an affidavit on the grant of the benefit to number of persons “having such criminal antecedents and sentenced in three cases”.

Directing the filing of a necessary affidavit on the issue before the next date of hearing, the Bench added: “In the meantime, the respondent may surrender on the date fixed, i.e., March 10, 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 certificate to the effect that the said respondent has surrendered on the date fixed”.

The petitioner, through counsel Premjit Singh Hundal, had earlier submitted the order was passed by “losing sight of dangerous consequences emanating from unlawful uttering and activities of the respondent-dera chief during the period of parole granted to him vide the impugned order”.

Directions were also sought for ordering immediate arrest of the respondent for lodging him in jail, “there being no release order in the two murder cases for which he is undergoing life imprisonment in two different FIRs”.