The Haryana government has granted another 30-day parole to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for raping two women disciples. This marks his 16th release on parole since 2020 and his second this year, following a 40-day parole that began on January 5.
Details of the Parole
Ram Rahim was convicted by a special CBI court in Panchkula in 2017 and has been incarcerated since August of that year. Since his first temporary release on a one-day furlough in October 2020, he has spent more than 400 days outside prison. He walked out of Sunaria jail in Rohtak around 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday and proceeded to the dera headquarters in Sirsa in a convoy of eight luxury vehicles. He is required to return to prison by June 24.
Sources confirmed that authorities cleared his stay in Sirsa after approval from the district magistrate. A Dera spokesperson stated that the sect's chief was released "as per his legal entitlements."
Prison Rules and Parole Provisions
Under prison regulations, convicts can avail of up to 10 weeks of parole annually. Time spent on parole is added to the overall sentence period and does not count as time served. Additionally, convicts sentenced to more than 10 years are entitled to three weeks of furlough each year, which does count toward the sentence served. Combined, parole and furlough can allow a convict to remain out of jail for up to 98 days annually, though such relief depends on multiple clearances and the discretion of authorities.
Other Convictions and Acquittals
Ram Rahim was also convicted in the murders of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh and journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court subsequently acquitted him in both cases.
