Today, On 3rd December, The Supreme Court issued a notice to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others, asking them to respond to a CBI petition challenging their acquittal in a 2002 murder case. The case involves the killing of Ranjit Singh, a former Dera follower, allegedly over his suspected role in leaking sensitive information about the sect. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier acquitted the accused.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court issued a notice to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, along with four others, concerning the 2002 murder case of Ranjit Singh, a former manager of the Dera.
This notice follows a plea from the CBI challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision to acquit Ram Rahim and his co-accused.
A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar acknowledged that the case is currently under review by a bench headed by Justice Bela M. Trivedi, and it will be scheduled for further proceedings before her.
Ranjit Singh was murdered on July 10, 2002, in Haryana’s Kurukshetra, with links to his alleged involvement in disseminating an anonymous letter that detailed accusations of sexual exploitation of women by Gurmeet Ram Rahim at the Dera’s headquarters in Sirsa.
In 2021, a special CBI court in Panchkula found Gurmeet Ram Rahim and four others Avtar Singh, Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, and Sabdil Singh guilty of the murder. The court sentenced all five to life imprisonment and imposed heavy fines Rs 31 lakh on Ram Rahim, Rs 1.50 lakh on Sabdil Singh, Rs 1.25 lakh each on Jasbir Singh and Krishan Lal, and Rs 75,000 on Avtar Singh.
The CBI court determined that Ram Rahim directed the murder due to suspicions regarding Ranjit Singh’s role in distributing a letter that revealed allegations of rape and exploitation.
In May 2024, the Punjab and Haryana High Court setaside the CBI court’s ruling, acquitting all five accused in the Ranjit Singh murder case.
Ram Rahim had appealed against his convictions in several cases, including those related to rape and the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati.
His conviction in 2017 for the rape of two female followers triggered widespread violence and unrest in Haryana, Punjab, and parts of Delhi, resulting in 30 fatalities and over 250 injuries. The Army was deployed to restore order.
In addition to the rape charges, Ram Rahim was also convicted in the murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati, who had extensively reported on the sexual assault allegations against him. These convictions led to a total prison sentence of 20 years for the self-proclaimed godman.
Ram Rahim, along with Avtar Singh, Jasbir Singh, Sabdil Singh, and Krishan Lal, initially been sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial court. However, the High Court expressed concerns over the CBI’s investigation, describing it as “tainted and sketchy” and deeming the evidence unreliable.
This appeal to the Supreme Court filed by Jagseer Singh, the son of the deceased, through Advocate Satya Mitra, seeking to set-aside the acquittal.
The case dates back to 2002, involving the murder of Ranjit Singh, a former manager of the Dera Sacha Sauda, a spiritual organization headed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Ranjit Singh was reportedly killed after being suspected of leaking a letter written by a Dera follower accusing Ram Rahim of sexual exploitation.
This letter ultimately played a key role in the investigation that led to Ram Rahim’s conviction in a separate rape case in 2017.
Ranjit Singh’s murder occurred on July 10, 2002, in Kurukshetra, Haryana. His son, Jagseer Singh, had filed a complaint, leading to a long and protracted investigation. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case, and after extensive proceedings, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, along with four othersAvtar Singh, Jasbir Singh, Sabdil Singh, and Krishan Lal sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court in 2021 for their involvement in the murder.
Case Title
Central Bureau of Investigation Vs. Baba Gurmeet Singh @ Maharaj Baba Gurmeet Singh @ Baba Singh Diary No. 48506-2024
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