Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, head of Dera Sacha Sauda, was granted a fresh 30-day parole on Tuesday and freed from Sunaria jail in Haryana. He left the Rohtak facility around 6:30 a.m. under police protection and traveled to the group’s headquarters in Sirsa.
This marks the 16th parole or furlough granted to him since 2020. His prior release was a 40-day parole on January 5, 2026, spent at the Sirsa ashram before he returned to prison.
Ram Rahim has been held at Sunaria jail since 2017 after convictions in two rape cases involving female disciples. He is serving a 20-year term from two separate 10-year sentences and also received life imprisonment in the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.
Repeated parole grants have drawn criticism from opposition parties and civic groups, who accuse the Haryana government of favoritism. The Dera maintains strong support across Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.
Parole and furlough dates since 2020 include one-day releases in October 2020 and May 2021, followed by multiple 20- to 50-day periods through May 2026.
