The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The Punjab and Haryana High Court issued an order today for the controversial figure, Ram Rahim, instructing him to surrender by March 10, the day his current parole concludes. Furthermore, the Court has instructed the Haryana Government to refrain from considering any applications for his parole extension without explicit authorization from the High Court.
A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji expressed their intention for the State of Haryana to provide detailed information regarding the parole granted to individuals with similar criminal records, specifically those sentenced in three separate cases. The Court anticipates a comprehensive affidavit to be submitted by the next hearing date. Meanwhile, Ram Rahim is to surrender on the specified date, and any parole consideration for him is suspended pending further court orders.
This legal action stems from a petition by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, challenging the parole awarded to Ram Rahim in 2023. Ram Rahim faced conviction in 2017 for two counts of sexual assault, resulting in a ten-year rigorous imprisonment sentence. Additionally, he received life sentences in 2019 and 2021 for involvement in murder conspiracies, as per the rulings of the Special Judge, CBI, Panchkula.
The Court’s directive follows the review of Ram Rahim’s parole records, revealing his temporary release for 91 days in both 2022 and 2023, despite his convictions. The State of Haryana’s decision to grant parole on multiple occasions in 2023, even as the petition against him was pending, was particularly scrutinized.
The hearing is set for March 11, by which time the Haryana Government is expected to verify Ram Rahim’s surrender. The legal representation includes Puran Singh Hundal and team for the petitioner, Pawan Girdhar representing the Haryana government, and Sonia Mathur among others for Ram Rahim. The case is officially titled Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee v. State of Haryana and others.