Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s 15th Parole Approved

Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda and a convicted rapist, is set to walk out of jail again. The Election Commission approved his parole petition on Monday. This marks his third temporary release in the past nine months and the 15th in four years.

Ram Rahim’s release comes just ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections scheduled for October 5. His furloughs have consistently coincided with elections, whether for municipal bodies or state assemblies, given his significant influence in Haryana and Punjab.

During this parole, the Dera chief will be prohibited from entering Haryana and barred from participating in any election campaign activities, either personally or via social media. With the Election Commission’s approval in place, the Haryana government is expected to issue an order for his release soon.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim returned to Sunaria jail on September 2 after a 21-day furlough granted on August 13. Since 2020, he has been granted temporary release 14 times, totaling 259 days through furloughs and paroles.

His parole on January 19 came just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Similarly, during the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, he was granted a 21-day furlough from February 7 to February 27. His eighth release on June 17, 2022, also coincided with the Haryana municipal elections.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted of murder and rape. He remains incarcerated in Sunaria jail in Rohtak.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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