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.
Repeated Releases, Polls In Focus
Singh was last released on a 40-day parole in August 2025. Earlier, he was granted a 21-day furlough in April 2025 and a 30-day parole in January 2025, ahead of the February Delhi Assembly elections. In October 2024, he was released on a 20-day parole just days before the Haryana Assembly polls. Apart from the rape conviction, Singh and three others were found guilty in 2019 in the murder of a journalist more than 16 years ago.
Influence, Acquittal And Growing Criticism
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.