Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples, walked out of the Sunaria jail in Rohtak on Monday after he was granted a 40-day parole -- the 15th time since his conviction in 2017.
Singh will stay at his Sirsa-headquartered Dera during the 40-day period, said Dera spokesperson and advocate Jitender Khurana.
This marks the 15th time Singh has been released from prison since his conviction in 2017. His latest parole comes months after a similar release in August last year.
He and three others were also convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist over 16 years ago. Singh was granted a 21-day furlough in April 2025 and a 30-day parole in January 2025, ahead of the February 5 Delhi Assembly polls.
Earlier, he was given a 20-day parole on 1 October, 2024, days before the Haryana assembly polls. In August 2024, Singh received a 21-day furlough.
He was also permitted a three-week furlough from 7 February, 2022, just weeks before the Punjab assembly polls.
Sikh organisations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, have in the past criticised the frequent parole and furloughs granted to Singh.
In May 2024, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Singh and four others in the 2002 murder of the sect’s former manager Ranjit Singh, citing “tainted and sketchy” investigations.
A special CBI court had earlier sentenced them to life imprisonment, holding Singh guilty of hatching a criminal conspiracy with his co-accused.
On many of the 13 occasions prior to the latest parole, Singh stayed at the Dera’s ashram in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district.
The Sirsa-headquartered Dera Sacha Sauda has followers across Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and other states. In Haryana, the sect has a significant presence in Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Hisar.
Since 2020, Singh has spent at least 344 days on parole and furloughs, far exceeding the 30 days of earned leave a corporate employee in India typically receives in a year.
Here’s a timeline of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s paroles and furloughs, based on published reports:
24 October 2020 – 1 day, visit to ailing mother in Gurgaon. Carried out secretly; police accompanied him.
21 May 2021 – 12 hours, another visit to mother. Allowed from sunrise to sunset under police protection.
7 February 2022 – 21 days (Furlough), to visit family in Gurugram. Received Z+ security. Weeks before Punjab assembly elections.
17 June 2022 – 30 days (Parole), visit to Dera Sacha Sauda Ashram in Barnawa, Baghpat (UP). Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee objected.
14 October 2022 – 40 days (Parole), Barnawa Ashram. Released three music videos. DCW chairperson appealed to cancel parole.
21 January 2023 – 40 days (Parole), to attend Dera’s religious fest virtually. Viral video showed him cutting cake with sword, violating Arms Act.
20 July 2023 – 30 days (Parole), Barnawa Ashram. Routine release.
20 November 2023 – 21 days (Parole). Minimal public appearances.
19 January 2024 – 50 days (Parole), Barnawa Ashram. Longest parole granted yet.
13 August 2024 – 21 days (Furlough)
2 October 2024 – 20 days (Parole), ahead of Haryana assembly polls. EC banned him from entering Haryana or making speeches.
28 January 2025 – 30 days (Parole), one week before Delhi polls; split between Sirsa (10 days) and Barnawa (20 days).
9 April 2025 – 21 days (Furlough), stayed at Sirsa Dera headquarters.
5 August 2025 – 40 days (Parole), returned to Sirsa Dera. Marks nearly three months out of jail in 2025 alone.