Ram Rahim plea

The Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that any application for the temporary release of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim must be considered by the Haryana government under the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022, ensuring a fair process devoid of favoritism or arbitrariness. This decision came in response to a petition from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which argued that Ram Rahim’s release could threaten national integrity due to his severe criminal convictions including murder and rape. The court dismissed the SGPC's claims that the older 1988 act should apply instead, emphasizing that the updated 2022 legislation governs such cases. The judges refrained from speculating on potential law and order issues that could arise from his release but reiterated the importance of strictly adhering to legal protocols. Ram Rahim is currently serving a 20-year sentence and has been granted parole multiple times, raising concerns about misuse of power by the Haryana government. The court's ruling underscores the necessity for a non-arbitrary approach in handling release requests for inmates with serious offenses.