CHANDIGARH, 04 January (H.S.): Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, incarcerated in Haryana's Sunaria Jail in Rohtak for raping two disciples, received approval for a 40-day parole on Sunday, marking his 15th temporary release since his 2017 conviction.

The Rohtak Divisional Commissioner sanctioned the relief under the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022, following the convict's application; he is expected to exit the facility Sunday or Monday and reside at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa under stringent conditions.

This follows a similar 40-day parole in August 2025, alongside a 21-day furlough in April 2025 and a 30-day parole in January 2025 ahead of Delhi polls, plus a 20-day parole in October 2024 before Haryana elections.

Singh endures a 20-year rigorous imprisonment from a CBI court in Panchkula for the 2017 sexual assaults, alongside a life sentence shared with three accomplices for the 2002 murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

Sikh bodies like Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee have repeatedly decried these frequent reprieves, alleging undue favoritism, while opposition voices question parole consistency.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar