Chandigarh: The controversial head of Sirsa-headquartered Dera Sacha Sauda, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, has approached Punjab and Haryana HC seeking directions for Haryana to grant him 21 days’ furlough so that he can carry out “welfare activities“.
The dera head submitted that an application for furlough was made to the authorities but due to a HC stay order dated Feb 29 this plea was not considered.
In his application filed before HC, he asserted that he is the religious head of an institution where once in every two years “Sewadar Shradhanjali Bhandara” is organised in June to pay tribute to volunteers who spent their lives performing social service and then died and to provide every possible help to their families.
The dera chief sought directions to consider and decide his application in accordance with law under the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022, which allows eligible convicts to be granted parole for 70 days and furlough for 21 days every calendar year. The period the convict spends out of jail on parole is added to the total sentence (it does not count as time in jail).
However, a furlough period is included in the total jail term and considered as time spent in prison.
He argued that the state has already granted parole and furlough to 89 such convicts convicted and sentenced in three or more cases with life term and fixed term sentences.
The dera head submitted that an application for furlough was made to the authorities but due to a HC stay order dated Feb 29 this plea was not considered.
In his application filed before HC, he asserted that he is the religious head of an institution where once in every two years “Sewadar Shradhanjali Bhandara” is organised in June to pay tribute to volunteers who spent their lives performing social service and then died and to provide every possible help to their families.
The dera chief sought directions to consider and decide his application in accordance with law under the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022, which allows eligible convicts to be granted parole for 70 days and furlough for 21 days every calendar year. The period the convict spends out of jail on parole is added to the total sentence (it does not count as time in jail).
However, a furlough period is included in the total jail term and considered as time spent in prison.
He argued that the state has already granted parole and furlough to 89 such convicts convicted and sentenced in three or more cases with life term and fixed term sentences.