Last Updated:January 08, 2026, 21:39 IST

The Haryana government argued in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2023 that the Ram Rahim should not be treated as a ‘hardcore convicted prisoner’

Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has spent 406 days outside jail in the last eight years. (Image: PTI/File)

A law passed by the Haryana government in 2022 has made it easier for Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to obtain paroles. He has spent 406 days outside jail in the last eight years.

The Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022, allows a convicted prisoner to be released for 10 weeks each calendar year, which can be taken in two parts. A report by the deputy commissioner or the superintendent of police, along with a recommendation from the district magistrate, is sufficient to secure parole under this law.

The law states that “hardcore convicted prisoners” — those convicted of rape or murder –cannot receive regular parole. Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted of rape in 2017 and of two separate murders in 2019 and 2021, with a sentence of 20 years in jail.

The new law, however, also allows ‘hardcore convicted prisoners’ who have served at least five years of their sentence (including two years under trial) to receive regular parole. Since Ram Rahim has been in jail since 2017, he qualifies for this provision.

The law further mentions that if a person is convicted multiple times for offences within five years, they will be considered a ‘hardcore convicted prisoner’. Nonetheless, the Haryana government argued in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2023 that the Ram Rahim should not be treated as a ‘hardcore convicted prisoner’. It said his convictions for murder were not “serial killings” as he did not physically carry out the murders but was guilty of conspiracy.

The 2022 law stipulates that parole will not be granted if the release endangers state security or causes a reasonable apprehension of a breach of peace. The Haryana government did not cite these concerns on any of the 15 occasions when Ram Rahim was granted parole. In fact, the government told the high court in 2022 that no untoward incidents took place when he was on parole.

Despite his convictions for raping two women and murdering two persons, Ram Rahim has spent a significant amount of time outside prison. This week, he was granted another 40-day parole, his 15th since 2017, to attend the January 25 birth anniversary of Shah Satnam Singh, the second head of the Dera Sacha Sauda. The Rohtak divisional commissioner approved the order, and Rahim left Sunaria Jail last Monday (January 5).

This release is part of a noticeable pattern. In August, Ram Rahim received another 40-day parole for his own 58th birthday celebrations. He also received 30-day and 21-day paroles in 2024 and 2023, respectively, for his birthday.

Since 2020, parole has become a regular occurrence in his prison life, evolving from one-day releases to extended periods of 40 or 50 days. With this latest parole, he has now spent 406 days outside prison.

The timing of these paroles has raised suspicion, as several of Ram Rahim’s releases have coincided with elections, including assembly elections in Haryana and Punjab, local body elections, and bypolls in Haryana. His followers are seen as a significant vote bank in both Haryana and Punjab, leading to speculation that these paroles are politically motivated.

Legal challenges against his paroles have been unsuccessful. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has repeatedly objected, arguing that frequent paroles undermine the gravity of his convictions and erode public trust in the justice system. However, both the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2024 and the Supreme Court in 2025 upheld the Haryana government’s discretion to grant temporary releases.

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