New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (January 3) sought the response of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others on an appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court order acquitting them in a 2002 murder case.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar issued notice to Dera Sacha Sauda chief and others and sought their response and tagged the matter with another appeal filed by the complainant against the High Court order.
“Our attention has been drawn to the office report dated September 9, 2024 regarding the order passed by the bench of Justice Bela Trivedi. Issue notice… matter is to be listed before the bench presided over by Justice Bela Trivedi,” the bench said.
High Court last year acquitted Ram Rahim, others
The High Court had on May 28 last year acquitted Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and others in the murder case of sect’s former manager Ranjit Singh, saying the prosecution failed to establish the motive of the crime and there are multiple lapses in the investigation conducted by the investigating agency.
Panchkula CBI court awarded life imprisonment to Ram Rahim, others
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others – Avtar Singh, Jasbir Singh, Sabdil Singh and Krishan Lal – were convicted by a Panchkula CBI court in 2021 and sentenced them to life imprisonment in the murder case.
As per the CBI chargesheet, Ranjit Singh was shot dead on July 10, 2002, as Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh suspected that Ranjit Singh was behind the circulation of an anonymous letter narrating the cases of sexual exploitation of his female followers.
The Panchakula CBI court, while convicting Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others others, had said that it was proved beyond reasonable doubt that Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was feeling aggrieved by the circulation of the said letter highlighting the cases of sexual exploitation of his female followers and he conspired along with other accused to commit the murder of sect’s former manager Ranjit Singh.
What did the High Court say?
A division bench of the High Court, however, set aside the trial court order, saying the investigating officer(s) carried out a tainted and sketchy investigations into the crime event.
“The investigating officer(s) carried out a tainted and sketchy investigations into the crime event, besides also they collected evidence which is unworthy of credence becoming meted theretos,” the High Court said while setting aside the trial court order.
