Gurmeet Ram Rahim Out on 30-Day Parole Again, Questions Raised Over Poll-Time Releases

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh walked out of Sunaria jail in Rohtak on Tuesday after being granted a 30-day parole , marking the 16th temporary release since his 2017 conviction for raping two women disciples. The latest parole has once again sparked debate over the alleged VIP treatment of influential godmen in Indian prisons and the political timing of such releases.

According to Dera spokesperson and advocate Jitender Khurana , Ram Rahim will stay at the sect’s Sirsa headquarters during the parole period. The self-styled godman is serving a 20-year prison sentence handed down by a special CBI court.

Over the past two years, Ram Rahim has repeatedly secured paroles and furloughs, many of them close to major elections. He received a 30-day parole ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls in January 2025 and a 20-day parole days before the Haryana Assembly elections in October 2024. Earlier releases also coincided with Punjab elections, fuelling criticism from opposition parties and Sikh organisations.

Critics argue that politically influential religious figures continue to enjoy preferential treatment unavailable to ordinary prisoners. The Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda has a significant support base across Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, making it politically relevant in several northern states.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and other Sikh groups have repeatedly objected to the frequent paroles, questioning the fairness of the prison system. Legal experts and activists have also raised concerns about the growing overlap between religious influence, electoral politics and criminal justice .

Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently acquitted Ram Rahim in the murder cases of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and former Dera manager Ranjit Singh, overturning earlier convictions in both cases.