Rohtak, Jan. 5 -- Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is lodged at Rohtak's Sunaria jail, serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples, was set to be released from prison on Monday after he was granted a 40-day parole, senior police officers aware of the development said on Sunday. This will be Ram Rahim's 15th release from jail since 2020. The latest parole comes months after he was granted a 40-day parole in August last year. So far, he has spent 366 days of his sentence out of jail. According to jail officials, Ram Rahim will stay at his Sirsa-based ashram during the parole period. The Dera head along with functionaries of the sect will celebrate the birth anniversary of Shah Satnam Ji Maharaj, second Dera chief of Dera Sacha Sauda on January 25. During his release in August, Ram Rahim had celebrated his birthday on August 15, when he turned 58. "We are yet to receive the official orders and the jail authorities in Chandigarh have informed us about the 40-day parole granted to Gurmeet Ram Rahim. He will be released on Monday morning," said a jail official from Rohtak, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Rohtak divisional commissioner Rajiv Rattan, who granted the parole could not be reached for a comment. Sunaria jail superintendent Satywan Singh did not respond to phone calls and text messages seeking a comment. Ram Rahim's parole and furloughs have been a matter of contention both political and concerns raised by the families of the victims. He was granted a 21-day furlough in April last year and a 30-day parole in January, ahead of the February 5 Delhi assembly elections last year. In 2024, he was granted a 20-day parole on October 1, days before the October 5 Haryana assembly polls. In August 2017, the dera chief was convicted for the rape of two disciples and sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. In January 2019, he was found guilty of the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and sentenced to life imprisonment. In 2021, he was also convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the murder of the sect's manager Ranjit Singh. However, on May 28, 2024, the Punjab and Haryana high court acquitted him in the case. The CBI has appealed his acquittal in the Supreme Court. The Sirsa-headquartered Dera Sacha Sauda has thousands of followers in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and other states. In Haryana, the Dera has a sizable number of followers in many districts, including Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Hisar....