Punjab: Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the leader of Dera Sacha Sauda, is currently serving a 20-year sentence for raping two disciples and was found guilty of two murders. According to the state government, he does not deserve any indulgence by the authorities and frequent parole could cause law and order issues in Punjab.
Cannot be referred to as a serial killer
This was stated by the Punjab government in an affidavit in response to a Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) appeal against the dera chief’s release on parole. The affidavit submitted by Arpit Shukla, Additional DGP (law and order), contrasts sharply with the Haryana government’s response to the appeal. The Haryana government informed the high court that dera leader does not meet the criteria for a hardened prisoner and cannot be referred to as a serial killer before granting him a 40-day parole on January 20.
Temporary release from custody
“A person who has been found guilty in three different cases involving horrific crime and condemned to incarceration does not deserve any indulgence by the state authorities,” the Punjab government’s affidavit states. It continues, “In the current case, Respondent Number 9 Ram Rahim has been granted temporary release from custody without any cogent reason, especially given that he has been granted parole several times in the previous year. Information has been obtained from concerned quarters according to which his temporary release from custody is likely to disrupt the law and order situation in the state of Punjab.
Ram Rahim’s followers had tried to over-awe the state authorities
According to the affidavit, there has been “a history of friction” between the state government and the Dera Sacha Sauda, which was “seen in the Tri-city, particularly Panchkula, where his followers had produced mayhem at the time of his conviction in 2017” in the rape case. Throughout the confrontation, Ram Rahim’s followers had tried to over-awe the state authorities, according to the affidavit, and many of the dead were Punjabis. This means that his temporary release “is likely to have effects on the law and order situation in the state of Punjab,” according to the affidavit.
Discontent with Ram Rahim interim release
The Punjab government claims that releasing Ram Rahim on parole frequently has stoked animosity in a particular religious group and fostered a “festive and joyous atmosphere” among dera devotees, which is deeply hated by various segments of society. The Punjab administration informed the court that there was concern that protests against respondent no. 9 would cause law and order problems in the state of Punjab and might include acts like effigy burning, traffic bottlenecks, and dharnas to show their discontent with his interim release.
Sikh organisations calling for the release of Bandi Singhs
The court was also informed that some social groups would contrast the dera chief’s repeated temporary parole with some other inmates’ lengthy incarcerations. Many Sikh organisations, such as the SGPC, have been calling for the release of “Bandi Singhs,” or Sikh inmates, who they believe are still being held in jails despite having served their sentences. On March 9, the high court will now hear the case. In 2021, the dera head and four other people were found guilty of plotting to assassinate dera manager Ranjit Singh.
Dera head has already been granted parole
He and three other defendants were found guilty of the 16-year-old journalist’s murder in 2019. His conviction in two murder instances, according to the SGPC, amounted to “serial homicides,” they had contended before. The SGPC’s reasoning was rejected by the Haryana government. The court ruled that Ram Rahim’s conviction in two separate murder cases could not be referred to as “serial killings” because he was not an attacker and had not committed the actual murders. “He was found guilty of planning these murderous plots with the other defendant. Only with the help of section 120-B has he been punished under section 302 IPC,” it stated. According to the Haryana government, the dera head has already been granted parole and furlough on three separate occasions by the appropriate authorities, and during his brief release, there were no negative events.
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