Chandigarh, January 11,2019: Dera Sachha Sauda chief was on Friday convicted in murder case of a journalist by special CBI court in Panchkula. Three more persons along with Gurmeet Ram Rahim were convicted in the case.
However the court would pronounce the quantum of punishment on January 17.
Ramchandra Chhatrapati, a journalist based in Sirsa was shot at in October and succumbed to his injuries in November 2002 after his Hindi evening daily Poora Sach published an anonymous letter in which tales of sexual exploitation of women at Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sira were highlighted. It was the night of 24 October two men riding a motorcycle shot Chhatrapati at point-blank range outside his residence.
A murder case was registered in 2003 and Nirmal Singh and Kuldeep Singh, both locals were arrested for the shooting and their names were included in the FIR by the local police. Both the accused worked at the Dera.
In January 2003, Chhatrapati’s son, and successor of Poora Sach, Anshul Chhatrapati petitioned the High Court for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, which was accepted by the High Court in November. The case of murder was later handed over to the CBI.
Ram Rahim’s former driver Khatta Singh had earlier said that it was the Dera chief who had ordered Chhatrapati’s killing. The CBI filed a charge sheet in 2007 with Khatta Singh as a key witness.
The primary accused Nirmal Singh was granted bail January 2017, 14 years after he was arrested. Kuldeep Singh had already been provided bail shortly after initial arrest.
The murder case reached final stage in the same CBI special court at Panchkula that found the Dera chief guilty of rape on 25 August 2017.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim who is already in jail serving a 20 year term in Rohtak jail for raping two of his woman followers will appear before the court through video conferencing.
Related News Links :
By : Babushahi Bureau
First Published : Friday, Aug 25, 2017 03:04 PM
Updated : Friday, Aug 25, 2017 03:20 PM
Haryana government releases list of those identified
One each from Rajasthan and Uttarakhand also identified
By : Babushahi Bureau
First Published : Sunday, Aug 27, 2017 07:51 PM
Updated : Sunday, Aug 27, 2017 08:08 PM
Haryana government releases list of those identified
One each from Rajasthan and Uttarakhand also identified
By : Babushahi Bureau
First Published : Sunday, Aug 27, 2017 07:51 PM
Updated : Sunday, Aug 27, 2017 08:08 PM
Reopen imitation case of convicted Dera chief, says Giani Gurbachan Singh