Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Acquitted in Journalist Murder Case by Punjab and Haryana High Court
Legal Victory for Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
On Saturday, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the leader of Dera Sacha Sauda, achieved a significant legal victory from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court acquitted him in the high-profile murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati from 2002. This ruling was delivered by a bench of justices that overturned the life sentence previously imposed by a lower court (CBI Court).
This decision comes over seven years after a special CBI court found the Dera chief guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment. According to Ram Rahim's lawyer, Jitendra Khurana, the High Court has reversed the earlier judgment and cleared him of the charges related to the journalist's murder.
Background of the 2002 Journalist Murder Case
In 2003, Chhatrapati's family approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, requesting the transfer of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Subsequently, the investigation was handed over to the CBI, which filed a charge sheet in July 2007. In August 2017, the Dera chief was brought to a Panchkula court, where the CBI court judge delivered a verdict in a separate rape case.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for raping two of his followers, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder by a special CBI court in Panchkula in 2019, ordering him to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Reaction from Chhatrapati Family
The ruling has come as a severe blow to the family of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. His son, Anshul Chhatrapati, who has been engaged in a lengthy legal battle for the past two decades, indicated that they may challenge the High Court's decision in the Supreme Court.
While this relief for Ram Rahim is a cause for celebration among his supporters, it represents a disappointing turn for families seeking justice. All eyes are now on whether the CBI or the victim's family will appeal this decision in the highest court.