On the morning of 26th May (Tuesday), Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the controversial leader of Dera Sacha Sauda left Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana. He is serving a 20-year term for raping two female disciples. However, he was given a 30-day parole period. He has been released from prison sixteen times on parole or furlough since his conviction in 2017 by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Panchkula.
Ram Rahim Singh departed the jail grounds in an SUV under strict police protection around 6:35 am. According to Dera spokesperson and counsel Jitender Khurana, he will remain at his Sirsa-based Dera during the parole period. “He has got the parole today. It has been given by the competent authority of the state. He has been granted parole for 30 days,” the advocate stated.
Ajay Singhal, the Director General of Police (DGP) of Haryana expressed that the issue is under the purview of prison administration and authorities. The development occurred few months after Ram Rahim was awarded a parole in January. He similarly received a 40-day parole in August, a 21-day furlough in April and a 30-day parole in January of last year. Likewise, he was provided with a 50-day parole in January, a 20-day parole on 1st October and a 21-day furlough in August of 2024.
Previously, in November 2023, Ram Rahim Singh had been granted a 21-day parole. Prior to that, he got a 30-day parole in July, preceded by another 40-day parole in January 2023. He was also granted a three-week furlough in February 2022. In 2022, he was released on parole three times.
Many times, the timing of the self-styled preacher’s parole coincided with assembly elections in different regions including New Delhi. In 2022, Ram Rahim got out on parole three times. In February 2022, he was out for 21 days during the Punjab Assembly elections. Subsequently, his parole period in June 2022 overlapped with civic body polls in Haryana. And finally, that year in October, he got a temporary release of 40 days during the Haryana by-elections.
Similarly, in October 2020, Ram Rahim Singh’s parole coincided with the Haryana assembly elections. However, during his temporary release around election time, his parole conditions included barring him from participating in election-related activities, making speeches, and staying in the state during the election period.
The Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022 is behind Ram Rahim Singh’s his regular paroles. According to this, qualifying prisoners can ask for up to 21 days of furlough and 70 days of parole annually.
