The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a plea filed by Aridaman Chhatrapati, son of slain journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment acquitting Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case of his father.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana observed that the matter required consideration. The Court issued notice, granted leave, directed that the records be requisitioned and posted the matter for final hearing in the week commencing November 16.
At the outset, Senior AdvocateR. Basant, appearing for Gurmeet Ram Rahim, pointed out that the State had not preferred any appeal against the High Court’s acquittal. He submitted that an appeal against an acquittal was a rare occurrence. Justice Joymalya Bagchi, however, clarified that the present case involved a reversal of the conviction by the trial court, rather than a case where an acquittal had merely been affirmed by the High Court. He remarked: “It’s a reversal, it’s a reversal, it’s not an acquittal affirmed by the High Court, it’s a reversal.”
Counsel for appellant submitted that the final finding of the court of fact was that PW-31, Khatta Singh, could not be believed, and that the High Court had accordingly interfered with the conviction. The Chief Justice indicated that the Supreme Court would examine the matter, remarking:
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“We will examine the special circumstances attending to the examination of PW-31, whether the appreciation by the High Court was just. And we are equally conscious of the fact that State might not come in appeal.”
Background of the Case
The challenge arises from the March 7, 2026 judgment of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which allowed Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s appeal, set aside his conviction and sentence and acquitted him in the murder case. The High Court, while dealing with the evidence against him, had examined at length the testimony of PW-31 Khatta Singh, who was relied upon to establish the alleged conspiracy.
The underlying case concerns the October 24, 2002 shooting of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, editor of the evening newspaper Pura Sach, who was shot outside his residence in Sirsa after publishing reports concerning the Dera. He later succumbed to his injuries on November 21, 2002.
The High Court upheld the convictions of the other accused, Kuldeep Singh @ Kala, Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal @ Kishan Lal, while acquitting Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish the conspiracy charge against him beyond the required standard. The present appeal has been filed against the reversal of the conviction.