Rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim gets 30-day parole, 16th since 2017

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was convicted of rape and murder, has been granted a thirty-day parole again, marking his sixteenth release from prison since his conviction in 2017. Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who is serving a twenty-year sentence for rape and life imprisonment for murdering a journalist, was seen travelling in a luxury vehicle escorted by a massive police convoy. The repeated paroles have sparked a massive political row, with opposition parties slamming the ruling dispensations for allegedly extending special privileges and VIP treatment. Meanwhile, the state police have deflected responsibility, passing the buck to the prison department. The frequent releases of the convict continue to raise serious questions about the legal loopholes being exploited and whether justice is being negotiated.