# Ram Rahim gets 17th parole in 9 years, Haryana govt under fire 2026-08-26T02:20:53+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Dera Sacha Sauda chief and rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been released on parole or furlough for the 17th time in nine years, drawing sharp criticism. ThePrint called the repeated releases a 'cruel joke' and said the 'beti bachao, beti padhao' slogan is meaningless if a convicted rapist is treated as a favoured figure by Haryana's BJP government. Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year sentence for raping two women. His latest temporary release has renewed debate on the state's use of parole rules. Critics argue the pattern undermines the justice system and sends a wrong signal on India's commitment to women's safety. The release comes amid a broader complaint that Indian news television, which gave the episode heavy coverage, has become a national embarrassment for its tone and priorities. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Haryana government grants parole and furlough under the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Rules, which allow temporary release for reasons such as family events or personal emergencies. Ram Rahim's 17 grants in nine years suggest either serial emergencies or a routine that critics say makes a mockery of the rules. The central question is not moral but procedural: does the law allow a life-term convict for rape to be released this often? The state's justification for each grant has never been tested in open court in a pattern that would force disclosure. The next parole application, which could come within weeks, will be the real test of whether the government follows its own rules or relies on discretion alone. ## Coverage - theprint.in Leads with outrage over Ram Rahim's release and ties it directly to BJP government in Haryana, omitting any counterpoint This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: BJP, Dera Sacha Sauda, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Haryana Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/ram-rahim-gets-17th-parole-in-9-years-haryana-govt-under-fire/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/ram-rahim-gets-17th-parole-in-9-years-haryana-govt-under-fire/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/