Chandigarh: Dera Sachcha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving 20 years of imprisonment in the case of raping sadhvis, has once again come out of jail. He was given furlough for 21 days from the high security Sunaria Jail in Rohtak, Haryana at around 6 am on Tuesday morning. During the period of his temporary release, Ram Rahim will stay at Dera Sachcha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa. This is the 17th time since his conviction by the court in 2017 that he has got the benefit of parole or furlough. At that time, after the decision, massive violence broke out in Panchkula and Sirsa, in which more than 40 people lost their lives. Later the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted him of murder cases.
New relief two months after May's parole ends
This new release of Ram Rahim from Rohtak's Sunaria Jail has happened within just two months. Earlier in May this year, he had got parole for 30 days, after which he returned to jail in the last week of June.
Earlier, parole was approved for 40 days in January and 30 days in May. In August 2017, the court had found Ram Rahim guilty of raping two female followers and sentenced him to 20 years of imprisonment.
#WATCH | Sirsa, Haryana: Rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh arrived at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa from Sunaria Jail after being granted 21-day parole. pic.twitter.com/Q7WKr98dvG
— ANI (@ANI) August 25, 2026
Questions arise on repeated relief
After getting one day release for the first time in the year 2020, Ram Rahim has been continuously given parole and furlough at intervals of 21, 30, 40 and 50 days. Sikh organizations and Shiromani Gurdwara Management Committee have repeatedly lodged objections regarding this exemption. Critics allege that such relaxations are given keeping in mind political gains and electoral equations, because Dera Sacha Sauda is considered to have a significant influence in many areas of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.
According to Haryana Jail Rules, parole and furlough are two different provisions. Furloughs are considered part of the total sentence period, while time spent on parole is added to the prisoner's total sentence period.
Parole for the 17th time since 2017
The latest furlough granted to Ram Rahim is another name in the long list of temporary releases granted to him since he was first considered eligible for such relief. Their releases have included paroles and furloughs ranging from a few hours to 50 days. The first release was in October 2020, followed by another temporary release in May 2021. After this he was given furlough and parole in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.