No parole to Ram Rahim without permission: High Court to Haryana government

The Punjab & Haryana high court on Thursday asked the Haryana government not to consider granting parole to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim without the court’s permission.

The high court bench of acting chief justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Lapita Banerji criticised the state government for granting frequent paroles to the Ram Rahim, who has been convicted for 20 years of jail in two rapes (2017), life term for conspiring murder of a journalist (2019) and another conviction of life term for criminal conspiracy into murder of a Dera follower (2021).

It pointed out that, in spite of the pendency of the petition challenging frequent parole before high court since January 29, 2023, the Haryana government chose to grant him parole in July that year for 30 days, in November for 21 days, and in January 2024 for 50 day.