Rape and murder convict Gurmeet Rahim Rahim, who is chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, has got parole without any contingency, said sources.
Parole without contingency means, the Dera chief is free to do anything, unlike former Bihar Chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and Manu Sharma, who also got parole during their prison terms but were restricted to doing only certain things.
His parole is being criticised by several people as he was found to be making Diwali videos and doing satsangs in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Haryana Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar remained tight-lipped on the Dera chief’s parole and his actions. When asked about the Dera chief, Khattar said jails have their own rules and he is not the right person to comment on that.
When The New Indian contacted the Director General (Prisons) of Haryana, Mohammad Akil, he refused to comment. He did not respond to the text message.
The opposition has already questioned the parole of the Dera chief. They alleged that parole was given keeping in mind the bypoll election of the Adampur seat, which is scheduled to be held on November 3. The Panchayat election in the state is also scheduled to be held between November 9 and 12.
While Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Yadav was restricted from being involved in any election-related activities, Manu Sharma was not allowed to go to any bar during his parole and furlough periods, sources said.
In the case of Ram Rahim, he is only restricted to not indulging in “any illegal activity” that also includes influencing case witnesses, said sources from the Haryana government.
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Wednesday demanded the cancellation of the parole of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim as he was holding satsangs and making videos for his followers after being out of jail for a few days.
“The court had sentenced Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the cases of rape and murder. Why is the parole of such a dreaded person being granted again and again?” DCW chief Swati Maliwal questioned.
“During the parole, he does pravachan and makes songs. Some leaders of the Haryana government are completely engaged in his devotion to him…Haryana government should immediately cancel his parole,” Maliwal tweeted.
Ram Rahim has got 40 days of parole on the grounds of “good conduct” as per the jail manual. He is serving a 20-year prison sentence for raping two of his disciples in his Sirsa ashram. He was lodged in Sunaira jail in Rohtak, Haryana.
According to a jail superintendent, who did not wish to be named, a convict in any case is state property. It means the parole or furlough is decided by the government. But the state government has to follow the jail manual only after getting a clearance report on the convict from the local police.
“In the case of Ram Rahim, his parole must not be opposed by the local police, as it never does in the case of non-influential or poor people. If parole is given, it should be based on proper contingency like any incident that happened in the convict’s family or he has to give the proper reason for getting parole,” said the officer.
Parole can also be granted based on reformation grounds, like in Ram Rahim’s case, where parole is granted on the grounds of his good conduct in jail. The officer added that it means that he has been allowed to reform himself.
As of now, the Haryana government has not provided a proper response as to why Ram Rahim was granted parole.
Ram Rahim has a huge following in Haryana and it is said that he has considerable influence that can affect many assembly seats in the state.
Ram Rahim was also granted furlough and parole earlier. In February this year, he got 21 days of furlough to meet his family in Gurugram. It was granted at the time of the Punjab Assembly election.
A month-long parole was also granted in June to Ram Rahim. A total of four – three parole and one furlough – have been granted since he was sentenced for rape.