Rohtak, August 5 (H.S.): Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, chief of Dera Sacha Sauda and a convict in rape and murder cases, was released from Sunaria jail on a 40-day parole, marking his 14th temporary release since 2017. He left jail at 6 AM under heavy police security and arrived at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa by 9 AM. This year, he will celebrate his 58th birthday at the sirsa dera on August 15, a first in eight years, as he usually celebrated in Barnawa Ashram. Despite the occasion, celebrations are expected to be limited, with possible virtual addresses to followers due to restrictions on large gatherings.

Earlier this year, he had a 21-day furlough in April and a 30-day parole in January, prior to Delhi assembly elections. He spent 326 days out of jail thus far, with many paroles coinciding with elections in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, and Rajasthan. Singh is serving a 20-year sentence for raping two female followers and a life sentence for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. He was acquitted in a separate 2002 murder case last year. Dera Sacha Sauda has a significant following in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab, especially in districts like Sirsa and Hisar.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar