CHANDIGARH: In a major respite to Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the controversial chief of Dera Sacha Sauda who is undergoing imprisonment in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail after being convicted for two murders and two rapes, the Punjab and Haryana high court has held that he does not fall in the category of “hardcore prisoners” for the purpose of release on parole or furlough.
With this, there would be no legal hurdle for the dera chief’s release on parole or furlough in the future.
The high court also disposed of the plea challenging the dera chief’s recent release on furlough for being rendered infructuous as the dera chief had returned to the jail on completion of his period of release.
The order was pronounced in the open court by Justice Raj Mohan Singh on Thursday afternoon. However, the copy of the judgment was not released till the filing of this report.
Haryana advocate general Baldev Raj Mahajan, when contacted, confirmed that the HC has held that the dera chief does not fall in the category of ‘hardcore prisoners.’ Mahajan, however, added that exact details would be clear only after the copy of the judgment is released.
Kanika Ahuja, one of the lawyers representing the dera chief, also confirmed that HC has held that the dera chief does not fall in the category of ‘hardcore prisoners.’
The matter had reached before the HC in the wake of a petition filed by Paramjit Singh Sohali, 56, a resident of Punjab’s Patiala district, after the Haryana government granted a 21-day furlough to the dera chief on February 7.
