Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year sentence for raping two of his followers, was released from Rohtak’s Sunaria jail on Tuesday after being granted a 40-day parole by the Haryana government, The Indian Express reported. 

Singh, who left the prison early in the day, will spend the parole period at the Dera’s headquarters in Sirsa, officials told The Indian Express.

Newslaundry had earlier reported how Singh’s repeated paroles and furloughs have triggered allegations of influencing voters as they often coincide with elections in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, or Rajasthan – states where the Dera Sacha Sauda reportedly has considerable influence, especially in certain constituencies.

This is his 14th temporary release – he has spent over 306 days on parole – and the sixth ahead of an election, after the first court sentence in 2017. 

In April this year, he was out on a 21-day furlough. Earlier in January, just a week before the Delhi Assembly elections, he was granted a 30-day parole and also stayed at the Sirsa Dera.

In 2024, ahead of the February 20 elections in Punjab, the Dera chief got parole on February 7, 2020. Ahead of the Adampur bypoll in Haryana on November 3, 2022, he got parole on October 15 for 40 days. Ahead of the Rajasthan polls on November 25, he got a 21-day parole on November 21, 2023. He got a 50-day parole on January 20 this year, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. And ahead of the Haryana polls on October 5, he was granted parole twice – once for 21 days on August 13 and then for 20 days this week.

On previous occasions, he had chosen to reside at the sect’s ashram in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh.

Ram Rahim was convicted in August 2017 by a special CBI court in Panchkula, which found him guilty on two counts of rape and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The court also directed him to pay Rs 15 lakh in compensation to each victim.

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