Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples, walked out of Sunaria jail in Haryana’s Rohtak on Monday after being granted a 40-day parole. This marks the 15th release of the controversial godman since his conviction in 2017. During the parole period, Singh will stay at the Dera’s Sirsa headquarters, according to the sect’s spokesperson and advocate Jitender Khurana, PTI reported.
However, in May 2024, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Singh and four co-accused in the 2002 murder of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh, citing “tainted and sketchy” investigations. Sikh organisations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, have repeatedly criticised the frequent parole and furlough granted to Singh.
The Sirsa-headquartered Dera Sacha Sauda enjoys a significant following across Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and other states, with strong pockets of influence in Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Hisar districts.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was granted a 40-day parole and walked out of Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana.
He has been granted parole for 40 days. This is his 15th release since his conviction in 2017.
During his parole, Singh will stay at the Dera Sacha Sauda's headquarters in Sirsa.
He was previously found guilty in the murder of a journalist and his co-accused in the murder of a former Dera manager were acquitted.
