Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the chief of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, who was convicted in a rape and murder case, was granted 30 days parole by the Haryana government on Tuesday.
He was released from Rohtak’s Sunaria Jail early in the morning and sent to his Dera headquarters in Sirsa. This is his first visit to the Dera since his conviction in 2017.
Many believe his parole is a political move aimed at influencing his supporters before the Delhi Assembly elections on February 5.
During his previous paroles, he stayed at the Shah Satnam Ashram in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat. This is his 9th parole since June 2022. Last year, he was given 20 days parole in October before the Haryana Assembly elections and 21 days parole in August. The Congress had strongly criticized these decisions, accusing the Haryana government of using Ram Rahim to influence voters.
Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year sentence for raping two disciples and was also convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist. His followers from Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh are planning grand celebrations for his return to the Dera headquarters.
The parole was granted three days after the Punjab and Haryana High Court clarified that the Haryana government has the authority to release him under legal provisions.
The High Court had earlier rejected a plea by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) opposing his release, stating that the parole followed the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022.
The SGPC has repeatedly objected to Ram Rahim’s frequent paroles, but the Haryana government maintains that
