A convicted killer and rapist revered by millions as a religious guru has temporarily walked free from jail in India for the fourth time in 12 months, angering activists who say it sets a dangerous precedent in a country grappling with violence against women.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, head of the spiritual organization Dera Sacha Sauda, was released for 40 days on January 21 and is expected to remain free until early March, Sanjeev Verma, a senior official from the city of Rohtak, in the northern state of Haryana, confirmed to CNN on Wednesday.

In 2017, Singh was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping two of his followers. Two years later, he received a life term for the murder of a journalist who exposed the sexual abuse of women within his group.

Singh was previously granted temporary leave from prison in February, June and October last…