Let's find out what kind of legal provision there is under which a person convicted can be released from jail for some time. What is parole? Who approves it? And why does such a big controversy arise every time in the case of Ram Rahim?
Ram Rahim, the head of Dera Sachha Sauda, has once again been released from jail. On the morning of 26th May, he left Sunaria Jail in Rohtak on a 30-day parole and reached Sirsa Dera. His convoy comprised many lavish cars. How does Ram Rahim get so much relief again and again? Because this is not the first time. After being punished in 2017, Ram Rahim has been released from jail for the 16th time on parole.
This is the second time in the first 5 months of this year that he has been allowed to come out of jail. In January, he was given a 40-day parole, and now a 30-day parole.
Who is Ram Rahim, and what happened in 2017
A religious organisation that started in 1948. Its headquarters are in Sirsa, Haryana. Over time, Dera Sachcha Sauda not only became a religious organisation, but its social and political influence also started to be recognised. His crores of followers have been reported in different states of the country, and Ram Rahim himself came out as an influential public figure along with a religious guru. But in the year 2017, his story took a big turn.
Panchkula's CBI court found Ram Rahim guilty of raping two men and sentenced him to 20 years. The court admitted that the allegations were proven, after which he was sent to jail. As soon as the verdict came, violence erupted in Panchkula, Sirsa and the surrounding areas.
Thousands of Dera supporters took to the streets. In many places, fire broke out, vehicles were burned or damaged, and media OB vans were bashed. A curfew was imposed, the internet was shut down, and paramilitary forces were called. The situation got so bad that the security forces had to use tear gas, water cannons, and fire, resulting in 250 injuries and a dozen deaths. Crucial arrests were made, a large number of cases were registered, and the Punjab Haryana High Court also said that damage can be done to the property of Dera Sachha Sauda.
Other Convictions and 2017 Violence
Ram Rahim’s legal troubles extended beyond the rape conviction: he was convicted in the cases of journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati and Ranjit Singh Hatia, both receiving life sentences by the lower court. Ranjit Singh was the same person associated with the allegations involving the sadhvis and was implicated in the matter of leaking the letter. Ram Rahim’s name also featured in the 2015 inhumanity case concerning religious texts.
The 2017 Panchkula violence became a controversial part of the saga. Investigations and trials continued at various levels, turning the matter into a prolonged political and social debate. As a result, he became one of the country’s most high-profile and controversial convicts.
Why the Outrage Every Time?
But the controversy continued because it did not happen once or twice, but happened repeatedly. If you look at the record, Ram Rahim was given multiple 20- 50-day releases in recent years. And now, in May 2026, he got a 30-day parole again. In the past few years, Ram Rahim has come out of jail many times on temporary release. This is the reason that every time he gets parole, questions arise.
Can a person charged with such serious crimes come out so many times? The purpose of parole in the law is given based on family emergency, health reasons, or other circumstances given in the law.
Understanding Parole: Legal Framework
Because Ram Rahim is imprisoned in Haryana, the state’s Temporary Release rules apply. Parole is a limited administrative relief, not acquittal; the sentence continues, and the prisoner must return when it ends. That is, if a person gets parole, it does not mean that the court considers him innocent. His conviction is just a test.
The controversy is that Ram Rahim has repeatedly exploited these provisions—media say this is his 16th temporary release, so the same questions keep surfacing: how can a convicted man repeatedly get permission to leave jail? Is this simply a legal right exercised within the rules, a loophole being exploited, or something more complicated? And crucially, what about the survivors—how do repeated releases affect their sense of justice? These tensions lie at the heart of the debate. Because to understand any case, just knowing the parole is not enough. It is also necessary to understand what the legal record says about the person who is getting temporary release again and again. But along with this, there is another side to this story, which people often forget in legal debates. That is the victim and survivor's angle.
The Legal vs. Emotional Justice Debate
Because the law works according to its procedure, the decisions are made according to the rules. But the people who have been accused, who have fought for justice for years, for them, parole is not just a legal matter every time. Many times, it has been revealed from the survivors' and victims' side that when a person has been found guilty, then his temporary release is emotionally disturbing for them.
They say that this is not just the news of coming out of jail, but it becomes a question related to their sense of justice. This is why every time the news of Ram Rahim's temporary release comes, the same question arises again and again. After all, how is a convicted man getting permission to come out so many times? But on the other hand, the law technically says that if a prisoner completes his eligibility, applies for NMUC, gets administrative approval, and gets competent authority permission, then he can get a temporary release. And this is where the biggest question of this whole matter arises.
The CBI investigated, the court found him guilty, the punishment was given, yet how does the way to come out again and again remain open? Is this just a legal right? Is there a loophole in the law? Or is the story more complicated than this? On the one hand, the law says that if the rules are met, then parole can be given. On the other hand, society asks why a person charged with such a serious crime keeps coming out again and again. Victims ask whether their pain is limited to the court's decision.
Critics ask whether the law applies to everyone. The debate on Ram Rahim's parole is not just a debate on a person's release. This is a question about the system where the law gives its answer, but society is still looking for an answer.
Although Ram Rahim has received temporary releases, he remains a convicted prisoner serving his sentence; these releases are not bail or annulment of his punishment.
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