Supreme Court Agrees To Examine CBI Plea Against Gurmeet Ram Rahim's Acquittal In 2002 Murder Case

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the CBI's appeal against the acquittal of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others in the 2002 murder of Ranjit Singh.

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) appeal against the acquittal of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others in the 2002 murder of Ranjit Singh, a former manager of the sect. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had acquitted the accused on 28 May 2024, citing a tainted and sketchy investigation.  

The High Court, in its verdict, had remarked, "Media trials must not make objective evaluations of the evidence on record", news agency PTI reported.  

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, currently serving a 20-year jail term for the rape of two of his disciples, is lodged in Sunaria Jail in Rohtak, Haryana. Additionally, he has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, a sentence set to begin after the completion of his current term. Gurmeet has previously made headlines for being granted parole multiple times.  

SC Sends Notices To 5 Including Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh In Murder Case

A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar issued notices to the five acquitted individuals, including Gurmeet, as per PTI. The bench acknowledged submissions by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, that a separate plea against the High Court's decision had been filed by the deceased's father and was being handled by a bench led by Justice Bela M. Trivedi.  

Referring to the earlier order, the apex court stated, "Our attention has been drawn to the office report dated 9 September 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."  

Ranjit Singh was shot dead by four unidentified assailants on 10 July 2002 at Khanpur Kolian village in Haryana's Kurukshetra district. The murder was allegedly orchestrated by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who suspected Ranjit Singh of circulating an anonymous letter accusing him of sexually exploiting female followers.  

The CBI, which took over the investigation in November 2023, asserted that there was a clear motive for the crime. However, the High Court observed that the prosecution had failed to conclusively establish the motive, describing the case as "shrouded in doubts."  

The High Court acquitted Gurmeet and his co-accused—Avtar Singh, Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, and Sabdil Singh—while noting discrepancies in the prosecution's case. Another accused, Inder Sain, died in 2020 during the trial.  

A special CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana, had earlier convicted all the accused in October 2021, sentencing them to life imprisonment.