Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year sentence for raping two disciples, was released from Sunaria jail in Rohtak on Monday after being granted a 40-day parole. This marks the 15th time the self-styled godman has walked out of prison on parole or furlough since his initial conviction in 2017.
A Pattern of Temporary Releases
According to Dera spokesperson and advocate Jitender Khurana, Singh will reside at the sect's headquarters in Sirsa during this 40-day period. This release continues a consistent pattern. He was last out on a 40-day parole in August 2025. Prior to that, he was granted a 21-day furlough in April 2025 and a 30-day parole in January 2025, which coincided with the period before the Delhi assembly polls on February 5.
His release history shows multiple instances around election times. He walked out on a 20-day parole on October 1, 2024, just days before the Haryana assembly polls on October 5. In August 2024, he had a 21-day furlough. Furthermore, he was permitted a three-week furlough starting February 7, 2022, barely two weeks before the Punjab assembly elections.
Controversial Acquittal and Ongoing Legal Battles
Beyond the 2017 rape case, Singh and three others were convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist over 16 years ago. However, in a significant turn of events, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Singh and four others in May 2024 in the separate 2002 murder case of the sect's former manager, Ranjit Singh. The court cited "tainted and sketchy" investigations, overturning a special CBI court's life imprisonment order. The CBI had previously held Singh guilty of hatching a criminal conspiracy with his co-accused in that case.
Political Reactions and Sect's Influence
These repeated releases have drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, particularly Sikh organisations like the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which have previously condemned the grant of relief to Singh.
The Sirsa-headquartered Dera Sacha Sauda commands a significant following in several northern Indian states. It has a sizable number of followers in Haryana districts like Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, and Hisar, along with followers in Punjab, Rajasthan, and other states. This widespread influence often brings political attention to the sect leader's legal status.
During many of his past 14 releases, Singh stayed at his Dera's ashram in Baghpat district, Uttar Pradesh. His current parole again places him back at the centre of the sect's activities in Sirsa, ensuring the controversial figure remains in the public eye despite his imprisonment.
