Chandigarh: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, a convict in rape and murder cases, stepped out of Rohtak’s Sunaria Jail on Tuesday morning, this time on a 40-day parole.
This is the 14th time, Singh, who heads the said Dera at Haryana’s Sirsa citty, has been released from jail either on parole or furlough, since his conviction in 2017 for raping two of his disciples and conviction along with others in 2019 for the murder of a Sirsa-based journalist.
Notably, it will be the first time since his conviction that he will celebrate his birthday at his Dera in Sirsa. In the previous years, while on temporary releases, he stayed at his Barnawa Ashram in Uttar Pradesh. The Dera head will turn 58 on August 15.
Prior to his conviction in 2017, he celebrated his birthday amid week-long festivities – which included performances by popular Punjabi folk singers - from August 7 to August 15. However, this year celebrations are likely to be limited as the district authorities have not granted permission for the large-scale gatherings. He is, however, likely to address his followers virtually, media reports said.
Singh was last granted temporary release, a 21-day furlough, in April, 2025, during which he stayed at the Sirsa Dera to take part in Dera’s foundation day celebrations. According to reports, he will exhaust this year’s total parole quota with the current 40-day parole. In total, he has spent 326 days out of jail since his conviction until now.
Earlier in the day, the Dera head left the Sunaria jail, Rohtak, around 6 am and reached Dera at around 9 am in a convoy of about seven SUVs. Meanwhile district administration has made elaborate security arrangements around the Dera premises so as to avert any law and order issues.
