Rape convict and self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been given a 40-day parole. This comes just three months after he was allowed a 21-day furlough. He walked out of Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana, reportedly for the 14th time since 2017.

In the past, some of his paroles and furloughs have happened around election times in Punjab, Haryana, and nearby states. In 2022, he was released three times: in February during the Punjab assembly polls, in June during Haryana civic elections, and in October during Haryana by-polls. He was also out in October 2020 during the Haryana assembly elections. However, during these times, he was not allowed to take part in election campaigns, give speeches, or stay in election areas.

Why Gurmeet Ram Rahim was jailed

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, was sentenced in 2017 for raping two of his disciples and is serving a 20-year sentence in Sunaria Jail, Haryana. In 2019, he and three others were convicted of the 2002 murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

In May 2024, the High Court acquitted Ram Rahim and four others in the 2002 murder of Ranjit Singh, the Dera's former manager, citing poor investigations. A special CBI court had previously sentenced them to life imprisonment and imposed fines, with Ram Rahim facing a fine of Rs 31 lakh.

Ranjit Singh was killed in Kurukshetra, Haryana, in 2002, after a letter exposing sexual exploitation allegations against the Dera was circulated. Ram Rahim was last granted a 20-day parole on October 2, 2024, but was barred from engaging in election-related activities, giving speeches, or staying in the state during that period.