Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been granted another 21-day furlough, allowing the jailed sect chief to temporarily leave Haryana's Sunaria prison in Rohtak. Ram Rahim, who is serving a 20-year sentence for raping two women disciples, has been permitted to travel to the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa following his release.
The latest furlough marks his 17th temporary release from prison through parole or furlough. Ram Rahim had previously spent his temporary release periods at the Dera's Barnawa ashram in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. However, he has increasingly been allowed to stay at the Sirsa headquarters. This will be his third consecutive visit there.
A special CBI court convicted Ram Rahim in 2017 of raping two women disciples at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa. He was sentenced to 10 years for each offence, with the sentences to run consecutively.
His conviction brought down one of Haryana's most influential religious figures. The verdict triggered widespread violence in Haryana and Punjab in August 2017, with several people killed and many others injured.
Despite his continued imprisonment, Ram Rahim has received repeated temporary releases over the years. The decisions have frequently attracted political and public scrutiny, given his substantial following in Haryana, Punjab and other states.
His latest furlough has again raised questions over the repeated granting of temporary release to high-profile prisoners and the rules governing parole and furlough.
Apart from the rape convictions, Ram Rahim is serving a life sentence for the murder of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh. He was also convicted in the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.
