Rohtak (Haryana) | January 2026

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for the rape of two of his followers, walked out of Sunaria jail in Haryana on Monday after being granted a 40-day parole. This marks the 15th time Singh has been released from prison since his conviction in 2017.

According to Dera spokesperson and advocate Jitender Khurana, Singh will spend the parole period at the sect’s headquarters in Sirsa. His last parole was also for 40 days and was granted in August 2025.

Apart from the rape conviction, Singh and three others were sentenced in 2019 for the murder of a journalist more than 16 years earlier. Over the years, his repeated releases on parole and furlough have drawn criticism from various quarters.

Records show that Singh was granted a 21-day furlough in April 2025 and a 30-day parole in January 2025, just weeks before the Delhi assembly elections held in February. In October 2024, he was released on a 20-day parole shortly before the Haryana assembly elections. He was also granted a 21-day furlough in August 2024 and a three-week furlough in February 2022, ahead of the Punjab assembly polls.

Several Sikh organisations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), have repeatedly objected to the frequency of relief granted to Singh, questioning the timing of his paroles and furloughs.

In a separate case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court in May 2024 acquitted Singh and four others in the 2002 murder of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh. The court cited flaws and inconsistencies in the investigation and set aside the life sentence imposed earlier by a special CBI court. The Central Bureau of Investigation had alleged that Singh had conspired with others in the killing.

On many previous occasions, Singh stayed at the Dera’s ashram in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district during parole. The Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda commands a large following across Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and neighbouring states, with strong influence in districts such as Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Hisar.

Singh’s latest parole is once again expected to spark debate over the repeated temporary release of convicted prisoners in high-profile cases.

 Ram Rahim Granted 40-Day Parole Again, Steps Out of Jail for 15th Time Since Conviction

Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year sentence for the rape of two followers, was released from Sunaria jail on Monday after being granted a 40-day parole. This marks the fifteenth occasion on which Singh has walked out of prison since his conviction in 2017, once again drawing attention to the frequency of parole granted to the controversial godman.

According to Dera spokesperson and advocate Jitender Khurana, Singh will spend the parole period at the sect’s headquarters in Sirsa. His most recent parole before this was also for 40 days and was granted in August 2025.

Apart from the rape case, Singh was convicted in 2019 along with three others for the murder of a journalist, a case that further added to his legal troubles. Despite serving multiple sentences, Singh has been repeatedly granted temporary release in the form of parole and furlough over the years.

In 2025 alone, he was given a 30-day parole in January, shortly before the Delhi assembly elections, and a 21-day furlough in April. In October 2024, Singh was released on a 20-day parole just days ahead of the Haryana assembly polls, followed by a 21-day furlough in August the same year. Earlier, in February 2022, he was allowed a three-week furlough close to the Punjab assembly elections.

These repeated releases have often been criticised by Sikh bodies and civil society groups. Organisations such as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee have questioned the timing and frequency of the relief granted to Singh, arguing that it sends the wrong message in serious criminal cases.

In a separate legal development, the Punjab and Haryana High Court in May 2024 acquitted Singh and four others in the 2002 murder of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh, citing shortcomings in the investigation and overturning a life sentence handed down by a special CBI court.

During several past paroles, Singh stayed at the Dera’s ashram in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district. The Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda has a strong presence across Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and neighbouring states, with a significant follower base in districts such as Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Hisar.