The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. The decision came more than seven years after a special CBI court had convicted him and sentenced him to life imprisonment in connection with the killing.

Confirming the development, Ram Rahim’s lawyer Jitender Khurana said the High Court had set aside the earlier conviction in the case. However, despite the acquittal, the Dera chief will continue to remain behind bars as he is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in two rape cases in 2017.

Background of the Murder Case

In 2019, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court had found Ram Rahim guilty of conspiring to murder Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. Along with the Dera chief, three others, Kuldeep Singh, Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal, were also convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

All four were charged under Sections 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. The accused had later challenged the verdict before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which heard their appeals and reserved its judgment earlier before delivering the ruling on Saturday.

Journalist Was Shot in 2002

Ram Chander Chhatrapati, who ran a newspaper called Poora Sach, was shot outside his residence in Sirsa, Haryana, in October 2002. He later died from his injuries.

The attack came shortly after his newspaper published an anonymous letter that alleged sexual exploitation of women followers inside the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters. The publication of the letter had triggered controversy and raised serious questions about the activities within the religious organisation.

CBI Investigation and Court Proceedings

Following the murder, Chhatrapati’s family approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2003 seeking a fair investigation. The court later transferred the case to the CBI, which began its probe and eventually filed a chargesheet in July 2007.

The case went through a lengthy legal process before the CBI court delivered its conviction in 2019. The High Court’s latest ruling has now overturned that decision.

Ram Rahim Still in Jail

Despite the acquittal in the journalist murder case, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will continue to remain in prison. In 2017, a special CBI court convicted him of raping two of his disciples and sentenced him to 20 years in jail.

He is currently lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana, serving the sentence in the rape cases.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share