Gurmeet Ram Rahim Granted 40-Day Parole Again, Marking 15th Temporary Release Since Conviction

Rohtak, Jan 2026 : Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the controversial chief of Dera Sacha Sauda who is serving prison sentences for multiple serious crimes, has once again been granted a 40-day parole from Sunaria Jail in Haryana’s Rohtak district. The latest parole adds to a long list of temporary releases granted to the self-styled godman since his conviction in 2017.

Ram Rahim is currently serving sentences for the rape of two female followers and for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. He has also been convicted in the murder of Dera manager Ranjit Singh. Despite the gravity of the offences, the latest parole will allow him to step out of jail for the 15th time since he was first convicted by a CBI court.

Over the past year alone, Ram Rahim has been granted multiple temporary releases. He received a 40-day parole in August last year, followed by a 30-day parole in January, a 21-day furlough in April, and several other paroles and furloughs around politically sensitive periods, including the Delhi Assembly elections. Each release has renewed public debate over the frequency with which he is allowed out of prison.

As on previous occasions, Ram Rahim is expected to stay at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa during the current 40-day parole. In earlier paroles, including the 21-day and 40-day releases, he had resided either at the Sirsa Dera or at the organisation’s ashram in Uttar Pradesh’s Bagpat district.

A special CBI court had sentenced Ram Rahim to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in each of the two rape cases, amounting to a total of 20 years in jail. He was later convicted in the murder of journalist Chhatrapati, a case that drew nationwide attention and exposed alleged abuses of power within the Dera. In 2019, Ram Rahim and three others were found guilty in the journalist’s murder, which had taken place more than 16 years earlier. He was also convicted for the killing of Ranjit Singh, a former Dera manager.

The Dera Sacha Sauda, headquartered in Sirsa, commands a significant following across Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and parts of other states. In Haryana, the sect is known to wield influence in districts such as Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Hisar, making Ram Rahim a politically sensitive figure despite his imprisonment.

The repeated grant of parole has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who have questioned the Haryana government’s decisions. Anshul Chhatrapati, son of the slain journalist, has strongly objected to the repeated releases, stating that Ram Rahim is “not an ordinary prisoner but a hardened criminal” and asking why he continues to receive parole so frequently.

The Haryana government, however, has defended its actions before the High Court. In an affidavit, the state has argued that Ram Rahim does not fall under the category of a hardened criminal and is considered a prisoner with good conduct. Citing jail rules, the government has said that inmates with good conduct are eligible for parole or furlough, and that a prisoner can be granted up to 90 days of parole in a year under existing provisions.

Despite the official justification, the issue remains contentious, with critics continuing to question whether the repeated paroles undermine the seriousness of the convictions and the interests of justice.

Team Maverick.