SC refuses to hear SGPC plea against dera chief’s temporary release

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to hear a plea of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) against the temporary release of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra had a plea before them challenging the Punjab and Haryana high court order.

The bench noted the dera chief counsel’s objection to the maintainability of the PIL before the high court, which it disposed of, on the ground that it was filed against a single person.

“In that view of the matter, we are not inclined to consider the present petition,” the bench said.

Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples.

The SGPC moved the apex court against a August 2024 order of the high court.

The high court disposed of the SGPC’s PIL, observing in case an application was filed by Ram Rahim for temporary release, the same should be considered by the competent authority without any “arbitrariness or favourtism”.

It was alleged that the state of Haryana, while granting temporary release to the dera chief, was misusing its powers under Section 11 of the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022.

The SGPC counsel alleged that the authorities granted paroles or furloughs to Ram Rahim repeatedly for the maximum period between 2022 and 2024.

Ram Rahim’s counsel said that the PIL filed before the high court in 2023 was only against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, indicating a political rivalry.

The top court took note of the high court saying if an application was made by Ram Rahim for his temporary release, it would be “considered strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Act of 2022” without “arbitrariness or favoritism or discrimination”.

The SGPC counsel said despite the high court order, the dera chief was granted parole in January this year.

“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 court observed.

In 2017, Ram Rahim was sentenced to a 20-year imprisonment for allegedly raping two disciples.

On January 3, the apex court agreed to examine the CBI’s appeal against the acquittal of the dera chief and four others in the 2002 murder of Ranjit Singh, a former manager of the sect.

In May last year, the high court acquitted him and four others in the murder case, citing “tainted and sketchy” probe in the matter.