Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim released from Rohtak jail on 40-day parole

Sunit Dhawan

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Rohtak, January 21

Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim was released from Sunaria prison in Rohtak district on Saturday afternoon on a 40-day parole.

He was taken to Banwara ashram in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh under tight security.

The dera chief is undergoing imprisonment for the rape of two of his women disciples and murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

The dera head had applied for the grant of a 40-day parole to attend the birth anniversary of a former dera chief, Shah Satnam Singh, which falls on January 25.

The grant of parole to the dera head has raised eyebrows, especially as he was granted a 40-day parole, 21-day furlough and one-month regular parole last year as well.

He has been granted a 40-day parole less than two months after the completion of his last 40-day parole.

As per The Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022, which was notified on April 11, 2022, the convicted prisoners can be granted a regular parole for 10 weeks in a calendar year, which may be availed in two parts.

However, most of the prisoners are not granted parole so smoothly and frequently, even though the courts and other authorities concerned are flooded with requests for grant of parole to them.