Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh walked out of Sunaria Jail in Rohtak, Haryana, on 26 May after being granted a 30-day parole — his 16th release from custody since a special court convicted him in 2017 and sentenced him to 20 years in prison for raping two female followers. He will spend the parole period at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa under tight security arrangements.

Terms of the Current Parole

According to his counsel Jitender Khurana, the self-styled godman is barred from holding physical gatherings with followers during this parole. He is, however, permitted to address them through virtual platforms. His release on Monday morning was carried out under heavy security deployment.

A Pattern of Repeated Releases

This is not an isolated instance. Ram Rahim was granted a 40-day parole in January 2026 and another 40-day parole in August 2025, followed by a 21-day furlough in April 2025 and a 30-day parole in January 2025 — the last of which came ahead of the 5 February Delhi Assembly elections. Critics have repeatedly questioned whether the frequency and timing of these releases serves penological purposes or political ones, given the Dera's considerable electoral influence across Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan.

Dera's Political and Social Footprint

The Dera Sacha Sauda, headquartered in Sirsa, commands a sizeable following across multiple states. In Haryana alone, the organisation wields notable influence in districts including Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, and Hisar — all of which are electorally significant. The sect's voter base has historically been courted by parties across the political spectrum.

The Murder Acquittal and Its Controversy

Separately, the Punjab and Haryana High Court in March acquitted Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati — seven years after a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court had convicted him and sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2019. The acquittal was delivered by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal, who were hearing appeals against the 2019 conviction.

The Bench scrutinised the evidence after controversy emerged over the bullets allegedly used in the crime. However, appeals filed by co-accused Krishan Lal, Kuldeep Singh, and Nirmal Singh — close aides of the sect chief — were dismissed. Chhatrapati was shot in October 2002 and died subsequently; the CBI registered the case on 10 November 2003 on High Court orders, taking over from the Sirsa police station.

What Comes Next

With the 30-day parole now in effect, Ram Rahim is expected to remain at the Sirsa Dera campus. Any extension or early return to custody will be subject to the Haryana government's discretion. Rights groups and press freedom organisations are likely to renew calls for scrutiny of the parole approval process, particularly given the journalist murder acquittal earlier this year.