- Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh granted 21-day furlough from Sunaria jail Rohtak
- He has been released temporarily from prison 17 times including the latest furlough
- Ram Rahim has been allowed to stay at Sirsa headquarters during his last three furloughs
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence in connection with the rape of two women disciples, has once again been granted 21 days of furlough.
Ram Rahim, lodged in Haryana's Sunaria jail in Rohtak, has been permitted to leave prison and travel to the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa. He is expected to reach the Sirsa dera after his release from the jail.
This marks another temporary release for the jailed Dera chief. According to the information available, he has now been released from prison on 17 occasions, including the latest 21-day furlough.
In his previous outings, Ram Rahim was sent to the Dera's Barnawa ashram in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. In the latest period, he has increasingly been allowed to stay at the Sirsa headquarters, making this his third consecutive visit there.
Ram Rahim was convicted by a special CBI court in 2017 for raping two women disciples at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa. The court sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment for each of the two rape cases, with the sentences ordered to run consecutively, meaning the second sentence would begin after completion of the first.
The convictions marked a dramatic fall from power for the influential Dera chief, whose followers are spread across Haryana, Punjab and several other states. His conviction in the rape cases had triggered widespread violence in parts of Haryana and Punjab in August 2017.
Despite being behind bars, Ram Rahim has repeatedly been allowed temporary releases on parole or furlough. These releases have often drawn political and public scrutiny, particularly because of his large following in Haryana and Punjab and their proximity to elections.
The latest furlough has once again put the spotlight on the parole and furlough policy for high-profile prisoners and the circumstances under which Ram Rahim has been granted repeated temporary releases.
Ram Rahim is also serving a life sentence in the murder case of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh. He was additionally convicted in the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.
