Rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim granted parole for 15th time
What's the story
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda and a convicted rapist, has been released on parole for the 15th time since his conviction in 2017. He was serving a 20-year sentence for raping two disciples. The self-styled godman walked out of Sunaria jail in Rohtak on Monday after being granted a 40-day parole.
Parole pattern
Singh's parole history and recent controversies
This is not the first time Singh has been granted a long parole. He had last been released on a 40-day parole in August 2025. In April 2025, he was given a 21-day furlough and in January of the same year, he was granted a 30-day parole ahead of Delhi assembly polls. His October 2024 release came just days before the Haryana assembly elections. According to TOI, he has spent 405 days outside of prison in just over eight years.
Legal battles
Singh's murder conviction and subsequent acquittal
Apart from his rape convictions, Singh was also convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist over 16 years ago. However, in May 2024, he and four others were acquitted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the 2002 murder of former sect manager Ranjit Singh. The court had cited "tainted and sketchy" investigations as grounds for overturning their life sentences.
Sect followers
Singh's influence and past criticisms
Singh's Dera Sacha Sauda sect has a huge following across several Indian states, including Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan, among others. In Haryana alone, it boasts a large number of followers in districts like Sirsa and Hisar. However, his frequent parole grants have drawn criticism from Sikh organizations such as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.