Controversial Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year jail sentence for raping two of his disciples, was granted furlough on Wednesday for 21 days by the Haryana government.

He will stay in his Sirsa dera, the second time since his 2017 conviction in rape cases.

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In his previous paroles or furloughs, he was not allowed to stay in Sirsa but was permitted to reside at the Shah Satnam Ashram in Barnava in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district.

This is the 13th furlough given to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, who was patronised by political leaders and parties in Punjab and Haryana for nearly two decades due to his ability to influence the votes of his followers.

Earlier in January, he was granted a 30-day parole.

His release is said to coincide with the Dera’s foundation day celebrations. It was founded on April 29, 1948, by Baba Shah Mastana. This year marks its 77th anniversary.

On every occasion, Anshul Chhatrapati, son of slain journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, for whose murder Ram Rahim is serving a life sentence, has been objecting the grant of parole.

Ram Rahim is currently lodged at the high-security Sunaria jail in Rohtak, 250 km from the state capital Chandigarh.

Earlier, the high court had rejected Ram Rahim’s parole plea for attending the wedding ceremony of his foster daughters.

The self-styled godman was sentenced to 20 years in jail in August 2017 for raping two women.

A special CBI court in Panchkula in 2019 also sentenced him and three others to life imprisonment for the murder of a journalist over 16 years ago. His conviction on August 25, 2017, led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa, leaving 41 people dead and over 260 injured.