3 min readChandigarhMay 26, 2026 08:48 AM ISTDera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh last walked out of prison on January 5 on a 40-day parole. (File Photo)Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, serving a 20-year sentence for raping two of his disciples, is once again going to step out of Rohtak’s Sunaria prison on Tuesday on a 30-day parole. It will be the 16th time Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will move out of the prison since his conviction in the rape case in August 2017.The district administration and police authorities have deployed additional security outside the prison complex.According to officers, Ram Rahim will stay at his Dera headquarters in Sirsa during the parole period. He is not allowed to assemble his followers at his Deras, but he can address them virtually.Also Read | Unreliable witness, gaps in CBI probe: Why Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Ram RahimRam Rahim last walked out of prison on January 5 on a 40-day parole. Before that, he got a 40-day parole on August 5, 2025, to celebrate his birthday on August 15.In April 2025, he was released on a 21-day furlough. In January, 2025, he was released on a 30-day parole a week before the Delhi Assembly elections, and stayed at the Dera’s headquarters in Sirsa. In earlier instances, when he was out of jail, he mostly remained at the Dera’s ashram in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat and twice at Sirsa.In August 2017, a Panchkula court found him guilty on two counts of rape and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The court also ordered him to pay a fine of Rs. 15 lakh to each victim.Reacting to the conviction, his followers went on a rampage and entered into a fierce clash with the armed forces. The confrontation resulted in the deaths of over 40 people in Panchkula and Sirsa. The Dera chief was airlifted in a chopper from Panchkula and taken to Rohtak’s Sunaria prison.Story continues below this adOpinion | While deras improve access to public services, they also raise concerns about accountabilityGurmeet Ram Rahim Singh first came out of prison on October 24, 2020 (1-day parole); then on May 21, 2021 (12-hour parole to meet his ailing mother); February 7, 2022 (21-day furlough); June 2022 (30-day parole); October 14, 2022 (40-day parole). He was then released on January 21, 2023 (40-day parole); July 20, 2023 (30-day parole); November 21, 2023 (21-day furlough); January 19, 2024 (50-day furlough); August 13, 2024 (21-day furlough); October 2, 2024 (20-day parole); January 28, 2025 (30-day parole); April 9 2025 (21-day furlough) and August 5, 2025 (40-day parole).In March, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Ram Rahim Singh in the high-profile murder of a journalist, Ram Chander Chhatarpati, in 2002. In May 2024, he and four others were cleared in the killing of former sect manager Ranjit Singh, with the court citing flaws in the investigation.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Dera Sacha SaudaGurmeet Ram Rahim SinghAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Advertisement