Rape convict Dera chief Ram Rahim granted 40-day parole, 15th such relief
PTC News Desk: Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, has been given a 40-day parole. He is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence at Sunaria Jail in Rohtak, Haryana.
This is not the first time he has been released temporarily. He was earlier given a 40-day parole in August last year, a 30-day parole in January, a 21-day furlough in April, and several other short releases, including during the Delhi assembly elections. Since his conviction in 2017, he has been allowed out of jail 14 times.
In 2019, Singh and three others were also found guilty in the murder of a journalist that took place over 16 years ago. During most of his temporary releases, Singh stayed at the Dera’s ashram in Bagpat district of Uttar Pradesh.
Dera Sacha Sauda, based in Sirsa, has a large number of followers in states like Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and others. In Haryana, it has strong support in areas such as Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, and Hisar.
Ram Rahim’s repeated paroles and furloughs have faced strong criticism from Sikh groups, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, who have questioned why a convicted criminal is being given so many temporary releases.
- PTC NEWS
