A flashy preacher with rock-star taste, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was first jailed in 2017 on rape charges and convicted of murder two years later. Yet, he has been freed 15 times on parole, and so far has spent more than 400 days outside prison.
Indian history is filled with charismatic – and often controversial – figures who commanded huge devotion. But Singh’s recurring freedom is seen by many as a grim testament to the enduring power of spiritual influence in the world’s most populous country – a place where, critics say, the scales of justice can be tipped by the vast political reach and capital of these so-called godmen.
