Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has expressed its displeasure over the frequent parole granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year sentence for rape and murder. The court has directed that no parole should be given to Ram Rahim without its prior approval. Ram Rahim, who is lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak, is currently on a 50-day parole that will end on March 10, when he has to surrender.
A division bench of the High Court, comprising Justices Rajan Gupta and Karamjit Singh, was hearing a petition filed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), challenging the parole given to Ram Rahim. The SGPC contended that Ram Rahim was involved in several heinous crimes, including the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and former Dera manager Ranjit Singh, and the forced castration of 400 of his followers. The SGPC argued that the Haryana government was showing undue favor to Ram Rahim by granting him parole repeatedly, which was against the principles of justice and fair play.
The High Court asked the Haryana government to furnish details of how many other prisoners, who were convicted of similar offences as Ram Rahim, were given parole in the same manner. The court also sought information on the criteria and guidelines followed by the state authorities for granting parole to the convicts. The court said that it would examine the data and hear the matter on the next date of hearing.
A parole is a conditional release of a prisoner before the completion of his or her sentence, subject to the supervision of the paroling authority. Parole is meant to facilitate the reintegration of the prisoner into society and to provide an incentive for good behavior. However, there is no uniform law of parole in India, as the state governments are free to make their own rules for parole. The guidelines for parole vary from state to state, and sometimes even from prison to prison.
