The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday acquitted Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal delivered the judgment while hearing appeals against the earlier conviction.

While granting relief to Ram Rahim, the Court upheld the conviction and life sentences of the three other accused persons.

A special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation had in 2019 convicted Ram Rahim and the co-accused for the murder of Chhatrapati, who was shot outside his residence in October 2002 after his newspaper Poora Sach published an anonymous letter alleging sexual exploitation of women at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa.

The case was initially registered in 2003 and later transferred to the CBI in 2006. Ram Rahim, named as the main conspirator, is currently serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted for the rape of two female disciples. In 2024, the High Court had also acquitted him in the murder case of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh.

Appearances:

Mr. R. Basant, Senior Advocate (arguing counsel), with
Mr. Amar D. Kamra, Advocate,
Mr. Akshay Sahay, Advocate, and
Mr. Jitender Khurana, Advocate,
for appellant in CRA-D-240-2019.
Mr. R.S. Rai, Senior Advocate (arguing counsel), with
Mr. Anurag Arora, Advocate,
Ms. Rubina Vermani, Advocate,
Mr. Arjun S. Rai, Advocate,
Ms. Radhika Mehta, Advocate, and
Mr. Farhad Kohli, Advocate,
for appellant in CRA-D-270-2019.
Mr. Ravi Kamal Gupta, Special Public Prosecutor
(arguing counsel), and
Mr. Akashdeep Singh, Special Public Prosecutor,
for the respondent – CBI in all cases.