Eight years, 15 paroles: Impossible to ignore pattern of paroles for Gurmeet Singh
Jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Singh, convicted of raping two of his disciples and serving a life sentence for the murder of a journalist, has once again been granted parole, this time for 40 days. Approved on January 3, this marks the 15th temporary release he has received since his first conviction in 2017.
The pattern is by now impossible to ignore. Parole after parole, furlough after furlough, the man sentenced to 20 years for rape and life imprisonment for murder has spent a significant portion of his sentence outside prison walls. His latest release will see him stay at the headquarters of his Sirsa-based organisation, a familiar arrangement from previous paroles, including earlier stints at Dera ashrams in Uttar Pradesh.
This is not an isolated administrative decision but part of a long and troubling sequence. In August last year, he was granted another 40-day parole. Before that came a 21-day furlough in April, a 30-day parole in January ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, and a 20-day parole in October just before Haryana went to the polls. Go further back and the pattern repeats itself with striking regularity, relief timed uncomfortably close to elections, public campaigns, or politically sensitive moments.
Each release has been defended as being “within the rules.” But when rules begin to function only for the powerful, legality stops being a shield and becomes an indictment. Ram Rahim is not an undertrial or a first-time offender. He is a convicted rapist and murderer whose crimes led to violence, deaths, and long-lasting trauma. The question is no longer whether parole is technically permissible, but whether the spirit of justice is being systematically hollowed out.
Dera Sacha Sauda’s large and politically relevant following across Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and neighbouring states is an open secret. Districts like Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, and Kurukshetra have repeatedly seen the group’s influence reflected in electoral calculations. Against this backdrop, repeated paroles begin to look less like humanitarian considerations and more like transactional governance.
For survivors, journalists, students activists and ordinary citizens, the message is chilling. Sentences handed down by courts appear negotiable. Justice seems elastic, strict for some, endlessly flexible for others. Every parole chips away at public faith in the criminal justice system and reinforces the belief that power, not principle, determines outcomes.
At some point, the question must be asked plainly: if a man convicted of rape and murder can step out of jail again and again with clockwork regularity, what does a life sentence actually mean in this country?
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
US–Iran first round direct talks conclude in Islamabad: Report
_vb_48.jpeg)
The first round of direct talks between the United States and Iran, held in Islamabad, has concluded, Al Jazeera reported citing sources close to the development.
According to the report, following the discussions, delegations from both sides agreed to exchange written documents, a move aimed at ensuring clarity and consensus on the understandings reached during the meeting.
Both the Iranian and US delegations arrived in Islamabad on Saturday, April 11, amid high security for the peace talks.
_vb_17.jpeg)
