Gurmeet Ram Rahim Gets 21-Day Parole, Marks 17th Release Since 2017

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year sentence at Sunaria Jail in Haryana’s Rohtak for raping two female followers, has been granted another 21-day parole, officials said.

This will be his 17th release from prison since his conviction in 2017.

According to officials, Ram Rahim has been permitted to leave the jail and travel to the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa, where he is expected to reach after his release.

Several Paroles And Furloughs Since Conviction

Ram Rahim was previously granted 30-day parole on May 26, during which he stayed at the Dera headquarters.

He was also granted 40-day parole in January 2026 and another 40-day parole in August 2025. Earlier, he received a 21-day furlough in April 2025 and a 30-day parole in January 2025, among several other temporary releases.

The Dera Sacha Sauda has a significant following in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and several other states. In Haryana, the sect reportedly has influence in districts including Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Hisar.

Acquitted In Journalist Murder Case

In March this year, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Ram Rahim in the 2002 murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

A special CBI court in Panchkula had convicted him and sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2019. The High Court later overturned the conviction after examining the evidence in the case.

Chhatrapati, a Sirsa-based journalist, was shot in October 2002 and later died. The CBI took over the investigation in 2003 following an order of the High Court.

Ram Rahim, however, continues to serve his 20-year sentence in the rape case.