Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, currently serving a 20-year sentence for raping two of his followers, was released from Sunaria jail in Rohtak on Wednesday (April 9) morning after being granted a 21-day furlough by the Haryana government.

Singh, who left the prison early in the day, is expected to spend the duration of his furlough at the Dera’s headquarters in Sirsa.

This is not the first time the controversial sect leader has been granted temporary release from prison. In January, he was out on a 30-day parole just a week ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, during which he also stayed at the Sirsa Dera.

Over the years, Singh's parole and furlough releases have frequently coincided with elections in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, and Rajasthan — states where his sect reportedly has a considerable following, particularly in rural constituencies of Haryana.

Singh was convicted in August 2017 by a special CBI court in Panchkula on two counts of rape. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay Rs 15 lakh in compensation to each of the two survivors.

While the Haryana government has maintained that furloughs are a legal right for convicts under certain conditions, critics have pointed to the timing of Singh’s releases, raising concerns about political motivations given the influence his Dera holds among a section of voters.