Rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim gets 21-day furlough, leaves jail for 17th time

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been granted another 21-day furlough, giving the jailed rape convict yet another temporary release from prison.

Ram Rahim, who is lodged at Haryana's Sunaria jail in Rohtak, has been allowed to leave prison and travel to the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa. He is expected to proceed to the Sirsa dera after his release.

17th release from prison

The latest furlough adds to a long list of temporary releases granted to Ram Rahim. Including this one, he has now been released from prison on 17 occasions through parole or furlough.

During several of his earlier releases, the Dera chief stayed at the organisation's Barnawa ashram in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. In recent instances, however, he has increasingly been permitted to stay at the Sirsa headquarters. The latest furlough will mark his third consecutive visit there.

Convicted in two rape cases

Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2017 by a special CBI court for raping two women disciples at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa.

The court handed him 10 years in prison for each rape case. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively, meaning the second term would begin only after the first was completed.

His conviction brought down one of the most influential religious figures in the region. Ram Rahim had a substantial following across Haryana, Punjab and other states. His conviction in August 2017 was followed by widespread violence in parts of Haryana and Punjab.

Repeated temporary releases

Ram Rahim's repeated parole and furlough periods have remained a subject of political and public scrutiny. His large support base in Haryana and Punjab has also drawn attention to the timing of several of these temporary releases, particularly around elections.

The latest 21-day furlough has again raised questions around the way parole and furlough provisions are applied to high-profile prisoners and the circumstances surrounding Ram Rahim's repeated temporary exits from prison.

Serving sentences in murder cases

The Dera chief is also serving a life sentence in the murder case involving former Dera manager Ranjit Singh.

He was additionally convicted in the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, adding another major criminal case to the list of convictions against him.