High Court acquits Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in 2002 journalist murder case
Summary
The Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, his lawyer Jitender Khurana confirmed on Saturday. This decision reverses the 2019 conviction and life sentence Singh received for the journalist’s killing. Ram Chander Chhatrapati was shot outside his home in October 2002, shortly after his newspaper, “Poora Sach,” published a letter alleging sexual exploitation of women followers at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa.
Singh, along with three others, had been convicted for the murder. The journalist’s death stemmed from his reporting on allegations against the Dera Sacha Sauda.
Despite this acquittal, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh remains imprisoned, currently serving a 20-year sentence for raping two of his disciples, a conviction handed down in 2017. He is currently held at Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana.
(Source:Malayala Manorama)