After the verdict was announced, Anshul Chattarpati told media that his father fought against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and lost his life. He said “I got emotional when I heard the verdict and now I want the Court to grant capital punishment when the quantum of punishment is announced on January 17.”
In the case, all the four accused have been convicted, CBI counsel HPS Verma told media after special CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh pronounced the verdict. The 51-year-old sect head appeared before the court through video conferencing from Rohtak's Sunaria jail. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on January 17.
Earlier on Friday, taking preemptive measure, security had been beefed up both in Punjab and Haryana where the Dera Chief enjoys a sizeable following. Panchkula DCP Kamal Deep Goel imposed Section 144 of CrPC throughout the district Thursday. Police personnel had been deployed near the Sunaria Jail in Rohtak where he is currently serving a 20-year term.
In the case where Ram Rahim was named the main conspirator , Journalist Chhatrapati was shot in October 2002 outside his house after his newspaper 'Poora Sach' published an anonymous letter narrating how women were being sexually exploited by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa. The case was registered in 2003 and handed over to the CBI in 2006.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is currently serving a 20-year prison term in jail for raping two of his followers.