Chandigarh, March 7: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has acquitted Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. The bench, led by Chief Justice Shil Nagoo and Justice Vikram Aggarwal, overturned the life sentence imposed by a special CBI court in 2019.
On January 11, 2019, the Dera chief was found guilty, and on January 17, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Ram Rahim and other co-accused challenged the special CBI court’s verdict in the High Court. This decision comes after a thorough examination of the evidence presented in the case.
However, the bench dismissed appeals filed by two other accused, upholding their convictions. The investigation into the case was sparked by controversy surrounding the bullets allegedly used in the crime, which became a crucial issue during the court’s review of the recorded evidence.
Despite being acquitted in the murder case, Ram Rahim will remain in prison as he is currently serving a sentence for a separate rape case. In 2019, a special court convicted Ram Rahim and three others in the journalist’s murder case, which occurred over 16 years ago. The lengthy gap between the crime and the conviction drew significant attention.
Ram Rahim has remained in the spotlight since being convicted of rape in 2017. During this time, he has been released on parole and furlough multiple times, which has sparked considerable controversy. Most of his releases were spent at the Dera Sacha Sauda ashram located in Bagpat district, Uttar Pradesh.
The Dera Sacha Sauda organization, headquartered in Sirsa, has a large following across several northern states, including Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan.
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