Chandigarh: The Haryana government has once again granted a 40-day parole to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the jailed chief of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS), who is serving sentences for rape and murder convictions. He is expected to return to Rohtak’s Sunaria jail on September 14.
With this latest parole, Ram Rahim will have spent a total of 91 days outside prison between January 1 and September 14 this year. Before this, he was released in April for a 21-day furlough. According to the terms of his parole, he will reside at his ashram in Sirsa during this period.
Officials confirmed that the DSS head was released from Sunaria jail on Tuesday and immediately departed for his residence in Sirsa. However, the full details of the parole order were not available at the time of reporting.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been lodged in Sunaria jail since August 2017, following his conviction by a special CBI court in Panchkula. He was sentenced to two consecutive 20-year prison terms for the rape of two female disciples and is also serving time for the murder of a journalist.
His conviction in August 2017 triggered violent clashes in Panchkula and parts of Haryana and Punjab, resulting in the deaths of nearly 40 people.
This latest parole has once again sparked debate, with questions being raised over the frequency and duration of his temporary releases from jail.
