Dera Sacha Sauda Leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Granted 30-Day Parole Before Delhi Elections

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the leader of Dera Sacha Sauda and convicted of rape, was released from a correctional facility in Rohtak, Haryana, on Tuesday after being granted a 30-day parole, coinciding with the upcoming Delhi assembly elections slated for February 5.

The 57-year-old Singh headed to his Dera headquarters in Sirsa, Haryana, following his release from the Sunaria jail in Rohtak, as reported by sources to PTI.

This marks the first occasion Singh has visited the Dera in Sirsa since his 2017 conviction for rape. Previously, during his parole, he had been residing at the Dera ashram in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh.

According to PTI, one of Singh’s attorneys confirmed that he has been granted a 30-day parole. Singh is anticipated to spend ten days at Sirsa and the remaining time at the Baghpat ashram.

Responding to the release of Singh on a 30-day parole, Haryana Minister Anil Vij stated, “Parole is granted according to established laws. It is not simply given to anyone.”

Upon arriving at the Dera in Sirsa, Singh issued a video message urging his followers not to come visit him.

A police officer from Sirsa confirmed Singh’s arrival at the Dera.

Singh is currently serving a 20-year sentence imposed in 2017 for the sexual assault of two of his followers. His parole is particularly noteworthy as it precedes the elections in Delhi.

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In his previous parole, Singh was granted a 20-day release on October 1 of the previous year, which also aligned with the Haryana assembly elections that took place on October 5.

Historically, several of Singh’s paroles and furloughs have aligned with electoral events in Punjab, Haryana, and nearby regions.

Sikh organizations, including the SGPC, have admonished the leniency afforded to Singh in the past.

In August of last year, Singh was granted a 21-day furlough, and prior to that, he received a three-week furlough starting on February 7, 2022, merely two weeks ahead of the Punjab assembly elections.

In May, Singh and four others were acquitted by the high court concerning the 2002 homicide of the sect’s former manager Ranjit Singh, citing “flawed and unreliable” investigations in the case.

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A special CBI court had previously sentenced Singh and others to life imprisonment in relation to the nearly two-decade-old murder case, where he was found guilty of orchestrating a criminal conspiracy with his accomplices.

Dera Sacha Sauda, headquartered in Sirsa, boasts a substantial follower base across Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and other regions.

In Haryana, the Dera maintains a prominent presence in districts such as Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, and Hisar.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, alongside four accomplices, was convicted for conspiring in the murder of Ranjit Singh, the Dera manager. Additionally, in 2019, Singh and three others were convicted for a journalist’s murder that transpired over 16 years ago.