High Court Acquits Ram Rahim in Journalist Murder Case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has acquitted Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, setting aside his earlier conviction by a special court.

The decision was delivered by a division bench led by Sheel Nagu and Vikram Aggarwal. The court announced the operative part of the judgement in open court, while the detailed order was awaited at the time of reporting.

Appeal Against Earlier Conviction

In January 2019, a special **Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Panchkula had sentenced Ram Rahim and three other accused to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹50,000 each.

The conviction related to the killing of Chhatrapati, editor of the Sirsa-based newspaper Poora Sach. The journalist was shot in 2002 after reportedly publishing articles critical of the Dera Sacha Sauda organisation.

Ram Rahim later challenged the conviction in the High Court, arguing that he had been wrongly implicated in the case.

Court Upholds Convictions of Three Others

While acquitting Ram Rahim, the High Court upheld the conviction of the three other accused linked to the case.

According to court proceedings, the Dera chief’s legal team argued that his name was not included in the first chargesheet filed by state police in 2002. They claimed that there was no direct evidence linking him to the alleged conspiracy.

The defence also questioned the reliability of certain witness statements and investigative findings presented during the trial.

Opposition From CBI and Victim’s Family

The CBI and lawyers representing the family of the slain journalist opposed the appeal. They argued that the evidence presented during the trial supported the conviction.

After hearing arguments from all parties, the High Court had reserved its verdict in the matter in September last year before delivering the ruling this week.

Background of the Case

The murder of Ram Chander Chhatrapati drew national attention as it was linked to reports published in his newspaper concerning allegations involving the Dera Sacha Sauda leadership.

The case was later transferred to the CBI for investigation.

Despite the acquittal in this case, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh remains in Sunaria Jail in Rohtak, where he has been serving a 20-year prison sentence since 2017 following convictions in separate rape cases involving two female devotees.

The detailed judgement from the High Court is expected to provide further clarity on the reasoning behind the acquittal.