High Court Acquits Gurmeet Ram Rahim and Others in 2002 Murder Case
Posted by admin on 2024-05-28 |
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has
acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim and four others in the
murder case of Dera manager Ranjit Singh. In 2021, a special Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) court found Ram Rahim and other accused guilty of Singh's
murder, sentencing them to life imprisonment.
Background of the Case
Ranjit Singh, a member of the Dera's
state-level committee, was shot dead in 2002. It is alleged that the murder was
linked to his suspected role in circulating an anonymous letter that narrated
how Ram Rahim was sexually exploiting women at the Dera headquarters in
Haryana's Sirsa.
Apart from the Dera chief, the other accused
in the case were Avtar Singh, Jasbir Singh, Sabdil Singh and Krishan Lal. They
have also been acquitted today.
The five accused, previously convicted in the
case, were held guilty of offence under Section 120 b of the IPC read with
Section 302 of the IPC and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) read with
Section 120 b.
Initial Conviction
In 2021, a CBI court convicted Ram Rahim and
four others of the murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The special
court concluded that it was proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the Dera
chief was upset by the circulation of the letter and conspired with the other
accused to kill Ranjit Singh. The 56-year-old Dera chief had appealed this
conviction in the high court.
Current Status of Gurmeet Ram Rahim
The controversial Dera chief is currently in
prison after being convicted of raping two sadhvis at the dera and for the
murder of journalist Ram Chander Prajapati, who had extensively reported on the
sexual assault allegations against the influential Dera chief.
More
Allegations against Gurmeet Ram Rahim
The Dera Sacha Sauda had made headlines after
shocking allegations of sexual assault surfaced against Gurmeet Ram Rahim and
the CBI started investigating the matter. In 2014, a decade after the probe
began, the Dera chief claimed he was impotent, but the court rejected this. His
conviction in 2017 led to violence and arson in several areas, resulting in
thirty deaths and over 250 injuries, necessitating the Army's intervention to
restore order. Ram Rahim is currently serving a 20-year jail term and has
appealed his conviction in the high court.
