In a major legal development, the Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four co-accused in the 2002 murder case of Ranjit Singh, a former manager of the Dera. This comes after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a plea challenging the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had acquitted Ram Rahim and his co-accused in May 2024.
Murder Case Summary
Ranjit Singh was shot on 10th July 2002 in Haryana’s district of Kurukshetra. His assassination has been estimated to have resulted due to his complicity in forwarding the anonymous letter published in that issued a pamphlet exposing Guru’s sexual harassment and exploitation at Dera HQ located in the district of Sirsa. Mass uproar through it led him as a primary suspect for silence during his elimination.
Court Trial and Acquittal
In 2021, the special CBI court sentenced Gurmeet Ram Rahim and four others-Avtar Singh, Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, and Sabdil Singh-for murder. The court pronounced life imprisonment against all five while imposing a fine on them. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court in May 2024 acquitted all five by setting aside the conviction order. Subsequently, the CBI filed a case in the Supreme Court to appeal against the acquittal. The case has been taken up for further hearing by the apex court.
Ram Rahim’s Past Convictions
Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been convicted in numerous high-profile cases. In 2017, he was sentenced to the jail for raping two women followers. This resulted in riots in Haryana and Punjab leading to huge casualties. Ram Rahim was also convicted in the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati who investigated and reported on sexual assault allegations in 2002.
Supreme Court’s Further Steps
The case has been referred by the Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar to a bench headed by Justice Bela M Trivedi for further proceedings. The case will continue to attract attention with significant legal and social implications for Gurmeet Ram Rahim and his followers.
The Ranjit Singh murder case had now proceeded further with legal litigation at the supreme court since that has intervened on reviewing of his acquittal by the subordinate judiciary. Thus the decision or judgement on that would definitely cast influence over all Ram Rahim other cases so his current cases, that too a drastic turn he can face; The public remains interested.
