Ram Rahim Gets 40-Day Parole Again: Dera Chief’s 15th Release Since 2017 Sparks Political, Sikh Outrage in Haryana
Once again, a 40-day parole has been granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, five months after he received a similar parole in August last year.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) January 4, 2026: On Sunday, sources released Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, a chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda, a 20-year jail sentence for raping two of his disciples, and presently stationed in the Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana, on 40 days of parole.
Rape, murder convict gets 40-day parole again
Singh is imprisoned in Sunaria jail, in Rohtak district of Haryana and is serving a 20 year jail term for raping two of his disciples.
Dera chief, a rape and murder convict, will receive 40 days’ parole and is expected to be released on Sunday or Monday. His latest parole came months after the same parole was granted to him in August of last year.
Fifteenth release since 2017 revives debate on justice
Singh will be out for the 15th time since he was convicted in 2017. Singh has been out of prison 14 times since he was convicted in 2017.
The maximum sentence imposed by the CBI court was 10 years of heavy injunction for both rapes committed against his female followers, equivalent to a total of 20 years.
Later, the CBI court also convicted and sentenced him to murder case of journalist Chhatrapati and murder case of Dera manager Ranjit Singh. Ram Rahim and three others were sentenced in 2019 to murder of journalist Chhatrapati, the crime which had occurred more than 16 years earlier.
Haryana cites “good conduct” and 90-day parole rule
Ram Rahim’s repeated parole is at the center of controversies in the political community, with several political parties challenging the Haryana government in this regard. Sikh groups such as Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee have previously criticised giving relief to Singh.
The Haryana government has defended the decision in the High Court, filing an affidavit showing that Ram Rahim is not a hardened criminal and is a good-ole prisoner.
According to jail rules, prisoners with good conduct are entitled to parole or furlough. Under the existing provisions, a prisoner can be granted up to 90 days of parole in a year, which the state government has cited while justifying the repeated parole granted to Ram Rahim.
