Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): In a major turn in a two-decade-old case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 killing of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, overturning his earlier conviction that had resulted in a life sentence.
The decision was delivered by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal while hearing appeals challenging the 2019 judgment of a trial court.
While granting relief to Ram Rahim, the court rejected the appeals filed by two other accused persons, thereby keeping their convictions intact. The High Court is expected to issue a detailed judgment explaining the grounds for setting aside the earlier ruling.
Ram Rahim heads the Sirsa-based religious organisation Dera Sacha Sauda. In 2019, a special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation had found him guilty of conspiring in the murder of Chhatrapati and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The verdict was delivered in Panchkula after a lengthy trial.
Chhatrapati, who published a newspaper in Sirsa, was shot outside his residence in October 2002 and later died of his injuries. The case had attracted national attention because the journalist had printed reports linked to allegations of sexual abuse within the Dera, which later led to investigations involving Ram Rahim.
Following initial inquiries, the case was handed over to the CBI, which conducted a detailed probe before filing charges against the Dera chief and others for their alleged role in the killing.
Despite the High Court’s acquittal in this case, Ram Rahim will remain behind bars as he continues to serve prison sentences in other criminal cases, including convictions related to rape.
The ruling marks a significant development in the long-running legal battle surrounding the murder of Chhatrapati, a case that has been closely watched for years due to its links to the controversial religious leader.
