Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, serving a life sentence for the sexual exploitation of sadhvis and the murder of journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati, has once again been released from jail. Ram Rahim walked out of Rohtak’s Sunaria Jail on Monday morning (January 5) after the district administration issued parole orders a day earlier. He has left for the Dera headquarters in Sirsa, where he is expected to stay during the 40-day parole period.

This marks the 15th time Ram Rahim has been granted parole or furlough since his conviction in 2017. Over the years, his temporary releases have frequently coincided with elections or major religious events at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters, often triggering sharp political reactions. Although no major election is immediately underway, the latest parole has again raised questions about its timing, as it coincides with important programmes at the Sirsa ashram.

Ram Rahim has been in jail since August 25, 2017, when a CBI court sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment in the sadhvi sexual exploitation case. On January 17, 2019, he was awarded life imprisonment in the murder case of journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati by a special CBI court in Panchkula.

Pattern of Parole and Furlough

Most of Ram Rahim’s releases have come close to elections or major events:

• Parole or furlough granted ahead of Assembly elections in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi

• Temporary releases before by-elections and municipal polls

• Multiple paroles around Dera foundation day and religious gatherings

• Short-term release in October 2020 to visit his ailing mother

The repeated grants have fuelled public outrage and opposition allegations of preferential treatment.

Jail Manual Cited as Justification

The Dera management and the Haryana government have defended the releases, citing provisions of the jail manual. Under the rules:

• Prisoners can be granted parole up to three times a year

• Convicted prisoners may receive furlough for social and personal reasons

• Parole is considered after assessing conduct and completion of the required portion of the sentence

• Leave periods are counted within the total sentence

Dera spokesperson and legal advisor Jitendra Khurana said the parole was granted strictly as per rules, adding that thousands of prisoners in Haryana have availed similar benefits and that Ram Rahim has received no special treatment.

Congress Raises Political Questions

The Congress has strongly questioned the repeated paroles. Punjab Congress MLA Pargat Singh demanded clarity from the Punjab government, stating that despite claims by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann about granting prosecution sanction in Ram Rahim-related cases, no concrete action followed. Singh alleged that the Haryana government has been releasing Ram Rahim every few weeks and accused the AAP and BJP of acting in tandem in the matter.