Haryana Government Grants 20-Day Parole to Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh

The Haryana government has granted a 20-day parole to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, with strict conditions barring participation in election activities and staying in Haryana. Singh, serving a 20-year sentence for rape and murder convictions, will stay at the Dera ashram in Uttar Pradesh's Barnawa during the parole.

The Haryana government has granted a 20-day parole to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh with specific conditions that prevent him from participating in election-related activities and staying within Haryana's borders.

Singh, who is currently incarcerated in Rohtak's Sunaria jail, is serving a 20-year sentence handed down in 2017 for raping two of his female disciples. In addition, Singh and three associates were convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist that occurred over 16 years ago.

The parole was sanctioned ahead of the Haryana Assembly polls scheduled for October 5. An official confirmed the grant of parole on Tuesday.

According to parole conditions, the sect chief is restricted from engaging in any election-related activity and is required to reside outside of Haryana for the duration of the parole, specifically at the Dera ashram in Uttar Pradesh's Barnawa.

This development comes after the Haryana jails department forwarded Singh's parole request to the Chief Electoral Officer, Pankaj Agarwal, who stated that the government might consider the parole based on the factual correctness of the plea and adherence to the Model Code of Conduct.

Singh was previously granted a 21-day furlough in August and a three-week furlough in February just before the Punjab Assembly elections.