Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, has once again been released from prison after being granted a 21 day furlough. This development marks the 17th time the Dera chief has stepped out of jail since his initial conviction in 2017. Ram Rahim, who is currently serving a rigorous 20 year prison sentence for the sexual exploitation of his female disciples and life imprisonment for murder, was released from the Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana, on the morning of Tuesday, 25 August. According to the official orders, he has been granted a period of 21 days to remain out of custody, during which he will be residing at the primary headquarters of the Dera Sacha Sauda ashram located in Sirsa.
Details of the 21 Day Furlough and Residence
The administration of the Sunaria District Jail in Rohtak approved the 21 day furlough for Gurmeet Ram Rahim, facilitating his temporary exit from the correctional facility. During this 21 day period, the Dera chief is scheduled to stay at the Sirsa ashram. This is a notable shift in the conditions of his release, as it's the third consecutive time he has been permitted to stay at the Sirsa headquarters, while in many of his previous instances of parole or furlough, Ram Rahim was required to stay at the Barnawa ashram situated in the Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh. However, for this current 21 day stint, he has been allowed to return to the main ashram in Sirsa, Haryana, where the sect is headquartered.
A History of Frequent Releases
The frequency of Ram Rahim's releases has often been a subject of public and legal discussion. Since his conviction in 2017, he has come out of jail a total of 16 times prior to this current release. This 17th release follows a pattern of temporary reliefs granted to him over the last few years. For instance, in the month of May this year, he was granted a 30 day parole. Over the past 10 years, including the period since his sentencing, he has managed to secure release from the Sunaria jail on 16 different occasions through various legal provisions of parole and furlough. Now, with this 21 day furlough, the count has reached 17.
Legal Convictions and Sentences
Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted by a special CBI court in 2017 for the sexual exploitation of two female disciples, known as sadhvis, at the Dera Sacha Sauda ashram in Sirsa. The court handed down two separate 10 year sentences for these crimes. Crucially, the CBI court ordered that these two 10 year sentences wouldn't run concurrently. Instead, the second 10 year term was ordered to begin only after the completion of the first 10 year term, effectively making it a 20 year sentence for the rape charges. In addition to these convictions, Ram Rahim is also serving a life sentence for his involvement in the murder of Ranjit Singh, the former manager of the Dera Sacha Sauda ashram. On top of that, he was found guilty and convicted in the murder case of journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati. The legal proceedings and the subsequent conviction of Ram Rahim in 2017 had triggered widespread violence in Panchkula and several other parts of Haryana, leading to significant unrest at the time. Since then, he has been primarily lodged in the Sunaria jail in Rohtak, from where he has now been released for his 21 day furlough.