Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for raping two of his followers, has once again requested a 20-day parole, just days before the upcoming October 5 Haryana assembly elections.
The Dera Sacha Sauda chief, who returned to Rohtak’s Sunaria jail on September 2 after a 21-day furlough in August, has been accused of influencing his largely Haryana-based followers to vote in a specific manner during elections.
Since his conviction in 2017, Singh has been out of prison on parole or furlough ten times, spending 255 days—over eight months—outside jail. Many of these releases coincided with elections in Haryana and nearby states.
Singh’s latest parole request has been forwarded to the election department, which has asked the jails department to clarify the “compelling emergent reasons” for the request, as required by Election Commission guidelines. An April 2019 directive from the EC states that parole should only be granted in cases of “extreme emergency” and ensures that the convict does not engage in election-related activities.
Haryana’s 90-member assembly elections are scheduled for October 5. Political analysts note that Singh, as the leader of the Sirsa-based sect with a significant following, remains influential during election season. Politicians across the spectrum have sought his “blessings” in the past, according to Panjab University political scientist Prof. Ashutosh Kumar.
A state official reiterated that every convict has the right to be considered for temporary release and dismissed claims of favoritism. A Dera spokesperson stated that Singh is entitled to 91 days of temporary release annually and has so far utilized 71 days, leaving him eligible for another 20 days of parole this year. The spokesperson added that the request is within legal limits and unrelated to the elections, noting that the approval process may extend beyond the polls.
In January 2023, BJP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Krishan Lal Panwar and former minister Krishen Kumar Bedi, interacted with Singh during a virtual satsang while he was on a 40-day parole. Although they denied any political motives, the opposition Congress criticized the move as a “vote-catching ploy.” In 2022, Singh’s virtual appearance at an online congregation attended by Haryana BJP leaders, including the then Karnal mayor Renu Gupta, also drew criticism for alleged political motivations.