- By Abhishek Sheoran
- Tue, 13 Aug 2024 10:09 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been granted a parole once again. He was released from Rohtak’s Sunaria Jail around 6 AM on Tuesday. Ram Rahim has been granted a 21-day parole, as per Jagran.com. During this period, Ram Rahim will stay at the Barnawa Ashram in Baghpat. He will celebrate his birthday with his followers on August 15, IANS reported.
This is the second occasion when Dera Sacha Sauda chief has been released from the jail in 2024. He was granted a 50-day parole on January 19.
Notably, Gurmeet is serving a sentence for charges of rape and murder.
This development follows the Punjab and Haryana High Court's decision on August 9 to dismiss the SGPC's petition challenging the temporary release of the jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief. The court observed that requests for temporary release should be reviewed by the competent authority without any "arbitrariness or favoritism."
Ram Rahim, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for raping two of his disciples, is currently incarcerated in Sunaria Jail in Rohtak district.
On February 29, the High Court ordered the Haryana Government to not grant parole to the self-proclaimed godman without its permission. In June this year, Ram Rahim had approached the high court, requesting a 21-day furlough.
This is the 10th parole granted to Dera chief in last four years. In October 2022, he was granted a 40-day parole. Prior to that, he had been released on a month-long parole in June 2022 and received a three-week furlough on February 7, 2022.