Haryana High Court acquits Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in journalist Chhatrapati murder case
Journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati was murdered in Sirsa, Haryana, in 2002. A CBI court had convicted Ram Rahim and three others in the case. However, the court has now acquitted Ram Rahim.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim has received relief in the targeted murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati in Sirsa, Haryana, in 2002. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim a major relief, acquitting him. The court heard the case on Saturday.
It should be noted that in 2019, the CBI court convicted Ram Rahim in the Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder case and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The CBI also convicted three other individuals—Kuldip Singh, Nirmal Singh, and Krishan Lal. But the court has acquitted Ram Rahim.
The division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal delivered this verdict while hearing appeals challenging his 2019 conviction. The court subsequently overturned Ram Rahim's sentence and acquitted him of the charges. However, the court rejected the appeals of two other accused. A detailed verdict is still awaited, which will explain the reasons for the reversal.
Who was journalist Ram Chander?
Journalist Ram Chander ran a local newspaper in Sirsa. In October 2002, he was shot outside his home and later died from his injuries. The murder made headlines because the journalist had published reports alleging sexual abuse within the Dera. The report included a letter alleging sexual abuse within the Dera, which prompted an investigation into Ram Rahim.
Summary
After the initial investigation, the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). which investigated and subsequently filed charges against Ram Rahim and others. In January 2019, a special CBI court in Panchkula convicted Ram Rahim and co-accused of conspiring to murder the journalist and sentenced them to life imprisonment.