Ram Rahim seeks parole again; poll body demands 'compelling' reasons
Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who's serving 20 years for rape, has requested a 20-day parole just before the Haryana Assembly elections on October 5. The Haryana government has sent his application to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for consideration. But, the CEO has asked the jails department to explain the "compelling emergent reasons" behind the parole request as mandated by the Election Commission's guidelines, the Hindustan Times reported.
Rahim's previous paroles and furloughs raise questions
Since he was sentenced in 2017, Rahim been granted parole or furlough a whopping 10 times, racking up over eight months of freedom outside prison walls. Many of these releases happened to line up with elections in Haryana and its neighboring states. Rahim has a significant following in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. He was last granted parole on August 13 for 21 days. On September 2, Rahim made his way back to Rohtak's Sunaria jail.
Dera spokesperson defends Rahim's parole request
A spokesperson for Dera Sacha Sauda came out in support of Rahim's latest request for parole, saying he has the legal right to 91 days of temporary release every year. "He has availed 50 days of parole and 21 days of furlough. So, he is entitled to another 20 days of parole in the calendar year. As the year is coming to a close, he has to avail the 20-day parole otherwise it will lapse," the spokesperson explained.
Rahim convicted in multiple cases
Besides his rape conviction, Rahim was found guilty in 2019 for the murder of a journalist over 16 years ago. He was convicted again in 2021, along with four others, for conspiring to kill Ranjit Singh, a Dera manager, in 2002. However, they were acquitted in the murder case in May. Singh was suspected to have been murdered because of his alleged role in circulating a letter that narrated how women were being sexually exploited at the Dera headquarters.
