Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, has been granted a 40-day parole from Sunaria Jail in Rohtak, Haryana. This marks his 15th temporary release since his 2017 conviction for rape and murder. Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year sentence for raping two disciples and a life term for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. He is expected to stay at the Dera's headquarters in Sirsa or its ashram in Baghpat during his parole. This repeated granting of parole has drawn criticism from Sikh organizations.