Murder-rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim granted 21-day furlough from jail
Imprisoned Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was on Monday granted permission to leave jail on a 21-day furlough. Lodged in a Haryana jail, he is currently serving sentences in three cases: two separate murders and the rape of two women. Earlier in January, the self-proclaimed godman was granted a 40-day parole. He was also released for 30 days in July.
Why does this story matter?
Since his conviction, Singh has been out on paroles or furloughs multiple times, triggering criticism against Haryana's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for backing him. Per a Hindustan Times report, his temporary releases have often coincided with elections in places where he holds some influence. This time, too, the furlough comes as the assembly elections are underway in five states, including Haryana's neighbor Rajasthan.
Singh granted furlough
Singh has been lodged in Rohtak's Sunaria jail in Haryana. The 56-year-old came out on parole or furlough at least seven times since his conviction. This time, he was granted a furlough, NDTV reported. On parole, inmates are released either for a short term for a special purpose or completely before their sentence ends. A furlough denotes a temporary release of convicts from jail.
Murder-rape convict to stay at UP ashram
Following his release from the Sunaria jail on Monday, Singh will reportedly be heading to his ashram in Barwana in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. He will be staying there throughout the furlough. The murder-rape convict had chosen to stay at the same Barwana ashram several times during the previous paroles and furloughs, too.
What are the cases against Singh
In 2017, the Dera chief was convicted by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court for raping two female disciples. In 2019, Singh and three others were convicted of the 2002 murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, who published an anonymous letter accusing him of rape. He was also convicted for the 2002 murder of a sect follower, Ranjit Singh.
