Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the Dera Sacha Sauda chief serving a 20-year sentence for two rape cases, was granted parole for a month on Tuesday. His release from Haryana’s Sunaria jail comes ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, scheduled for February 5, raising eyebrows about the timing.
According to police sources, Singh was released on Tuesday morning and will visit his ashram in Sirsa, Haryana, marking his first visit there since his conviction in 2017. Singh, who enjoys a massive following in states like Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, has previously been granted paroles that coincided with elections. Most recently, he was released in October 2024, just days before the Haryana Assembly elections.
The timing of Singh’s parole has drawn criticism, with Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi expressing disappointment. Taking to social media platform X, she remarked, “Just release him already. At least the farce of repeated paroles will end and so will the pretence of providing justice to victimised women.”
The Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s release has reignited debates over the role of influential religious figures in election dynamics. While his past paroles restricted him to his ashram in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, this parole allows him access to his Sirsa headquarters, a hub for his followers across Haryana districts such as Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, and Hisar.
The decision has drawn attention to the potential political implications of Singh’s parole, especially considering his influence over a large voter base. As the elections approach, the move has sparked discussions about the intersection of politics and judicial decisions, as well as the broader impact on justice for his victims.
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