Gurmeet Ram Rahim's repeat paroles, and their links with elections

Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, was released from Sunaria jail in Haryana’s Rohtak on a 40-day parole on October 15.

Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year jail term after being convicted in 2017 for raping two disciples in his ashram in Sirsa, Haryana. In 2019, he was convicted of the 2022 murder of a journalist, and in 2021, the murder of a manager of his dera, also in 2002. After his conviction, violence had erupted in Haryana, leaving at least 41 dead.

The poll connection

This is the third time this year that Ram Rahim has been released from jail — twice on parole and once on furlough. And like the last two times, elections are scheduled to be held in regions where Ram Rahim has influence.

He was given furlough between February 7 and 27, with the high-stakes Punjab Assembly election held on February 20. He was also granted a 30-day parole on June 17, two days before the crucial elections to 46 municipalities in Haryana on June 19. This time, the assembly bypoll in Adampur in Haryana is scheduled for November 3 and the Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh on November 12.

Since his conviction, Rahim has been released on parole or furlough six times.

What are parole and furlough?

Parole and furlough are both forms of temporary release authorised by state government officials. But while furlough is a matter of right, parole in conditional. In both cases, the period of release is considered part of the total sentence.

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In the case of long-term imprisonment, furlough is granted periodically irrespective of any reason. However, parole is not a matter of right. Parole is usually subject to behaviour and requires periodic reporting to the authorities for a set period.

In the “Asfaq vs State of Rajasthan and Others” case in 2017, Supreme Court had said the main purpose of parole and furlough is to give convicts the opportunity to solve their personal and family problems and enable them to maintain their links with society. “Every citizen of this country has a vested interest in preparing offenders for successful re-entry into society,” the apex court has explained.

Who can get parole or furlough?

Parole can be granted after a convict serves at least one year of a sentence of more than four years. In the case of furlough, too, the sentence must be more than four years. But the prisoner is eligible for furlough only after s/he has served continuous imprisonment for three years and not committed any jail offence.

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The Haryana Good Conduct Prisoner (Temporary Release) Act, 1988 provides for the temporary release of prisoners for good conduct under certain conditions, such as illness or death of a family member, illness of the prisoner, marriage of a close family member, birth of a child, agricultural operations, house repairs, dependent’s admission to an educational institute, etc. The causes are mentioned in the rules framed under the Act.

The rules framed under the Act in 2007 state that a prisoner can also seek temporary release by applying to the prison superintendent, who will forward the application along with a report to the District Magistrate. The DM will forward the case with his recommendations to the Director General of Prisons for grant of parole or otherwise.

The prisoner must surrender himself/herself before the jail authorities at the end of the period.

The Dera’s tryst with politics

The Dera Sacha Sauda has a sizeable presence of followers across Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. In the 2007 Punjab elections, the influential sect openly backed the Congress. However, it began leaning towards the BJP by 2014. It backed the saffron party in the Lok Sabha elections, as well as the Haryana assembly polls.

Congress leader Udit Raj alleged that Ram Rahim had been given parole with the express motive of helping the BJP in the Adampur bypoll. However, Dera spokesperson Jitender Khurana dismissed as any attempt to link Ram Rahim’s parole and polls as “unfortunate and uncalled for.”

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Rahim will spend the duration of his parole at a Dera Sacha Sauda ashram at Barnawa in Baghpat. He has been holding online “satsang” sessions daily. Three Haryana BJP leaders—Karnal mayor Renu Bala Gupta, deputy mayor Naveen Kumar, and senior deputy mayor Rajesh Aggi—have reportedly attended the online satsang session.

Haryana Prison Minister Chaudhary Ranjeet Singh said, “The parole or furlough of an inmate is decided by the competent authority (deputy and divisional commissioner) as per the law.” Haryana BJP chief spokesperson Sanjay Sharma echoed him: “He (Rahim) has been granted parole as per the law.” According to him, the BJP leaders from Karnal attended the online satsang “as devotees.”

(With agency inputs)