GUWAHATI: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for the rape of two women disciples, has once again been granted a 21-day furlough.
ALSO READ: Guwahati: Temporary Bridge Fails to Ease Gorchuk-Deepor Beel Traffic Congestion
Ram Rahim, 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 reach the Sirsa dera after his release.
This is his 17th temporary release from prison, including the latest 21-day furlough.
During his previous temporary releases, Ram Rahim was sent to the Dera’s Barnawa ashram in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh.
In recent periods, however, he has increasingly been allowed to stay at the Sirsa headquarters. The latest release marks his third consecutive visit there.
Ram Rahim was convicted by a special CBI court in 2017 for raping two women disciples at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for each of the two rape cases, with the sentences to run consecutively.
The latest furlough has once again brought attention to the parole and furlough policy for high-profile prisoners and the circumstances surrounding Ram Rahim’s repeated temporary releases.
Ram Rahim is also serving a life sentence in the murder case of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh. He was additionally convicted in the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.