The Supreme Court docket on Friday refused to listen to a plea of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in opposition to the short-term launch of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
The Supreme Court docket on Friday refused to listen to a plea of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in opposition to the short-term launch of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. (HT file photograph)
A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra had a plea earlier than them difficult the Punjab and Haryana excessive courtroom order.
The bench famous the dera chief counsel’s objection to the maintainability of the PIL earlier than the excessive courtroom, which it disposed of, on the bottom that it was filed in opposition to a single individual.
“In that view of the matter, we are not inclined to consider the present petition,” the bench stated.
Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year jail time period for raping two of his disciples.
The SGPC moved the apex courtroom in opposition to a August 2024 order of the excessive courtroom.
The excessive courtroom disposed of the SGPC’s PIL, observing in case an software was filed by Ram Rahim for short-term launch, the identical needs to be thought of by the competent authority with none “arbitrariness or favourtism”.
It was alleged that the state of Haryana, whereas granting short-term launch to the dera chief, was misusing its powers beneath Part 11 of the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Momentary Launch) Act, 2022.
The SGPC counsel alleged that the authorities granted paroles or furloughs to Ram Rahim repeatedly for the utmost interval between 2022 and 2024.
Ram Rahim’s counsel stated that the PIL filed earlier than the excessive courtroom in 2023 was solely in opposition to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, indicating a political rivalry.
The highest courtroom took observe of the excessive courtroom saying if an software was made by Ram Rahim for his short-term launch, it could be “considered strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Act of 2022” with out “arbitrariness or favoritism or discrimination”.
The SGPC counsel stated regardless of the excessive courtroom order, the dera chief was granted parole in January this 12 months.
“Challenge that now and file a contempt petition before the high court that they (authorities) have committed a contempt of the high court’s order,” the apex courtroom noticed.
In 2017, Ram Rahim was sentenced to a 20-year imprisonment for allegedly raping two disciples.
On January 3, the apex courtroom agreed to look at the CBI’s attraction in opposition to the acquittal of the dera chief and 4 others within the 2002 homicide of Ranjit Singh, a former supervisor of the sect.
In Might final 12 months, the excessive courtroom acquitted him and 4 others within the homicide case, citing “tainted and sketchy” probe within the matter.