Election Commission permits parole for Gurmeet Ram Rahim ahead of Haryana polls

During the parole period, Dera Sacha Sauda chief will be prohibited from entering Haryana and barred from participating in any election campaign activities, either in person or via social media.

In Short

• Parole comes with strict conditions; no entry to Haryana
• Ram Rahim has been granted 259 days of temporary release since 2020
• Dera chief serving 20-year sentence for murder, rape

The Election Commission on Monday approved the parole petition of controversial Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh ahead of the October 5 Haryana Assembly elections. However, the approval comes with strict conditions, and any violation could lead to the immediate cancellation of his parole.

During the parole period, Dera Sacha Sauda chief will be prohibited from entering Haryana and barred from participating in any election campaign activities, either in person or via social media. With the Election Commission’s approval in place, the Haryana government is now expected to soon issue an order for his release.

These conditions came out as he had been accused of influencing elections through his followers and had even established a political wing in his Dera.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim returned to Sunaria jail on September 2 after a 21-day furlough, granted on August 13.

However, the timing of his parole petition has once again brought attention to its proximity to elections.

Since 2020, the Dera chief has been granted temporary release 14 times, totalling 259 days, through furloughs and paroles.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s parole on January 19 was linked to the general elections, while his 21-day furlough, starting on August 13, coincided with the upcoming Haryana Assembly election on October 5. Similarly, during the 2022 Punjab Assembly election, the Dera chief was granted a 21-day furlough from February 7 to February 27. His eighth release, on June 17, 2022, also coincided with the Haryana municipal elections.

Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year sentence for murder and rape convictions. He remains lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak.