Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda and a convicted rapist, was granted a 30-day parole, allowing him to temporarily walk free from Sunaria Jail in Haryana’s Rohtak. Ram Rahim had been serving a 20-year sentence handed down in 2017 for the rape of two female disciples.

The influential sect leader, whose Dera Sacha Sauda is headquartered in Sirsa, Haryana, enjoyed a substantial following in states like Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan. Within Haryana, his followers were particularly concentrated in districts such as Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, and Hisar.

During this parole period, Ram Rahim addressed his followers, instructing them not to visit him at the Sirsa Ashram, where he planned to stay. He urged his devotees to strictly adhere to any orders or messages relayed to them.

This marked the 12th time Ram Rahim had been granted temporary release from jail since his incarceration in 2017. His history of legal troubles extended beyond the rape conviction. In 2019, he was convicted for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati, a crime committed over 16 years prior. However, in May 2024, the high court acquitted him and four others in the 2002 murder case of Ranjit Singh, the sect’s former manager.

Ram Rahim’s most recent parole before this occurred on October 2, 2024, when he was granted a 20-day release.