Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Secures 21-Day Furlough: What It Means for His Followers

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's Furlough Details

In a recent development, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the leader of Dera Sacha Sauda and a convicted rapist, has been granted a furlough lasting 21 days. He was released from Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana, on Wednesday morning.

According to his legal counsel, Singh is expected to spend this period at the Dera's headquarters in Sirsa, Haryana. This furlough follows a previous 30-day parole he received in January, which coincided with the Delhi Assembly elections.

Singh is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence handed down in 2017 for the sexual assault of two female followers. Notably, he was also granted a 20-day parole on October 1 of the previous year, just before the Haryana Assembly elections.

Historically, Singh's paroles and furloughs have often aligned with election periods in Punjab, Haryana, and surrounding regions, raising concerns among various Sikh organizations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, which has criticized these decisions.

In August of last year, Singh was also given a 21-day furlough, and in February 2022, he received a similar three-week release shortly before the Punjab Assembly elections.

Additionally, in May of last year, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Singh and four others in a 2002 murder case involving the sect's former manager, Ranjit Singh, citing flawed investigations. A special CBI court had previously sentenced them to life imprisonment for their roles in the conspiracy.