Rape convict Ram Rahim granted 40-day parole, 14th release since 2017

Haryana: Rape convict and self-proclaimed godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been granted a 40-day parole, just three months after receiving a 21-day furlough. He walked out of Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana, marking his 14th release since his conviction in 2017, according to reports.

Officials confirmed that Ram Rahim headed to the Dera Sacha Sauda ashram in Sirsa this morning.

In 2017, the Dera chief was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping two of his followers. He was later convicted in 2019 for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and sentenced to life for the 2002 killing of his manager Ranjit Singh. However, in May 2024, he and four co-accused were acquitted in the manager’s murder case, with the court citing flaws in the investigation.

Ram Rahim was previously granted a 21-day furlough in April and a 20-day parole in January this year.

His frequent paroles and furloughs have often coincided with elections in Haryana, Punjab, and nearby states. In 2022 alone, he was released three times — during the Punjab assembly elections, Haryana civic polls, and by-elections. In 2020, he was granted a 40-day parole around the time of the Haryana assembly elections.

Despite these releases, he was prohibited from engaging in election-related events, delivering public speeches, or staying in the poll-bound states during that period.