Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: The Election Commission on Monday approved the 20-day parole petition of Dera Sacha Sauda chief and rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year sentence for the rape of two disciples, ahead of October 5 Haryana Assembly elections. He is currently lodged in Rohtak's Sunaria jail.
Ram Rahim gets parole with strict conditions
The Election Commission has approved Ram Rahim's parole with conditions. on Tuesday morning Ram Rahim will go to Baghpat Ashram in Uttar Pradesh.
Ram Rahim will not be allowed to stay in Haryana during his parole period, nor can he engage in any political activities or issue political messages via social media. Any violation of these conditions will result in the cancellation of his parole. The application for parole had also been sent to the Election Commission for review.
Ram Rahim has already been granted parole for fifty days and has now applied for an additional twenty days of parole. This marks the 11th time Ram Rahim will be released from jail. He had previously been released on 21-day parole on August 13 this year. He had walked out of the Sunaria jail in Haryana's Rohtak district after the authorities granted him 21-day parole.
Ram Rahim's influence on polls
Gurmeet Ram Rahim holds significant influence in regions like Sirsa, Hisar, Fatehabad, and other districts of Haryana, where he has a large following. His release from jail ahead of the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections could potentially impact the electoral outcomes. With the elections set to take place in a single phase on October 5, and the vote counting scheduled for October 8, his influence among lakhs of supporters may play a crucial role in shaping voter sentiment in these areas.
Previous parole of Ram Rahim
On August 9, the Punjab and Haryana High Court disposed of the SGPC's petition which challenged the grant of temporary release to the jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief, observing that a plea for temporary release be considered by the competent authority without any "arbitrariness or favourtism".
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex gurdwara body, had filed the petition against the temporary release of Ram Rahim. The SGPC had also contended that the Dera chief was suffering multiple sentences for committing grave offences such as murder and rape and if released, it will jeopardise the sovereignty and integrity of India and adversely affect public order.
Ram Rahim in June this year had moved the high court, seeking directions to grant him a 21-day furlough. On February 29, the high court had asked the Haryana government not to grant further parole to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief without its permission.
Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples and is lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak district. He was granted a 50-day parole on January 19.
In May this year, the high court had acquitted Ram Rahim and four others in the 2002 murder of sect's former manager Ranjit Singh, citing "tainted and sketchy" investigations in the matter. A special CBI court had sentenced the five to life imprisonment in the nearly 20-year-old murder case of Ranjit Singh. Ram Rahim had been held guilty of hatching a criminal conspiracy with his co-accused.
Also Read: Rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim gets parole again, walks out of jail for 21 days
