Ram Rahim Granted 21 Day Furlough, Marks 17th Temporary Release Since 2017

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year jail term for the rape of two women disciples, has received yet another 21-day furlough, reports say.

Fearing a fresh arrest by the police, Ram Rahim, who is lodged at Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana. Authorities has been given permission to leave the jail and move to the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa. Upon his release, he is expected to make his way to Sirsa headquarters.

This is the 17th temporary release since his 2017 conviction. He had been granted by the holy organization the opportunity to remain at Dera’s Barnawa ashram, Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh many times. His recent visits have been to the Sirsa headquarters and this is his third straight visit there.

Convinced in two rapes

In 2017, a special CBI court found Ram Rahim guilty of raping two women disciples at the headquarters of his Dera in Sirsa. In both cases, the court imposed a 10-year prison term, which were to be served one after the other.

In August 2017, his conviction led to massive disturbances in certain areas of Haryana and Punjab.

Ram Rahim is also serving life sentence on the murder charge of the former manager of the Dera Ranjit Singh. According to sources he was also found guilty of the murder of a reporter Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

His successive parole and furlough remissions have drawn attention of the public and political circles, especially in view of the size of his followers in Haryana and Punjab and its political importance.

With the latest 21-day furlough, the rules of temporary release of prisoners and when high-profile inmates are granted repeated parole or furlough have come into focus.