Dera chief Ram Rahim released again: 21-day furlough takes his time out of jail to 326 days since 2020

Ram Rahim (file photo)

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is currently serving a 20-year jail sentence for the rape of two of his female disciples, was granted a 21-day furlough by the Haryana Government and released from Rohtak’s Sunaria Jail on Wednesday.

The self-styled godman is residing at his sect's headquarters in Sirsa, Haryana after being granted the furlough, a temporary leave of absence from prison.

How many times has he been released?

With Wednesday's release, the controversial preacher has been granted furlough five times since January 2024, and a total of 13 times, adding up to 326 days, since October 24, 2020, when he first began receiving parole/furlough. In the last one year, he has been on parole/furlough for 142 days, which amounts to more than four months of release over a one-year period.

Why is Ram Rahim released again?

According to prison officials, Ram Rahim has been granted furlough to attend the foundation day of Dera Sacha Sauda, which is observed on April 29. His lawyer Jitender Khurana stated that under prison rules, inmates are entitled to up to 70 days of parole and 21 days of furlough per year.

Upon release, Ram Rahim issued a video message to his followers urging them to stay at home and observe the foundation month by engaging in social service.

Why are his releases controversial?

The timing of Ram Rahim’s paroles and furloughs has been controversial. Since January 2024, he has been released five times, with the timing often aligning closely with key elections in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, and Rajasthan, the states where the Dera has considerable influence over the citizens.

Ram Rahim was released for 30 days in January 2024, just a week before the Delhi Assembly elections. In November 2023, he was given a 29-day parole before the Rajasthan Assembly polls.

A 20-day parole in October 2023 preceded the Haryana Assembly elections, while he was released ahead of panchayat elections in Haryana in July 2023.

Even in 2022, he was out before the Punjab Assembly elections and the Haryana municipal polls.

The pattern goes back to October 2020, when his first release, from morning to evening, to visit his ailing mother, coincided with the by-election in Haryana.

This timing has led opposition parties to accuse the BJP-led Haryana government of using Ram Rahim as a political tool to influence voters, especially in areas where the Dera has a large following.

The Dera Sacha Sauda claims to have millions of followers across northern India, particularly among Dalits and other marginalised communities. The opposition claims that in many constituencies, especially rural ones, the impact of Ram Rahim can decisively swing election outcomes.

What's the case?

The Dera Sacha Sauda chief was convicted by a special CBI court in Panchkula for raping two female followers, known as sadhvis, and sentenced to 20 years in prison on August 25, 2017. He was also convicted in the murder of a journalist.

Following his conviction, widespread violence erupted across Haryana and Punjab, especially in Panchkula, where his followers clashed with law enforcement. The riots left 40 people dead and over 250 injured.