Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court today acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the 2002 murder case of former Dera official Ranjit Singh. Singh, a member of the Dera’s state-level committee, was shot dead in 2002. It was alleged that his murder was linked to an anonymous letter he was suspected of circulating, which detailed allegations of sexual exploitation by Ram Rahim at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa, Haryana.
Dera Sacha Sauda, a socio-spiritual organization based in Haryana, has been embroiled in controversies primarily due to its leader, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The allegations of sexual exploitation first surfaced in the early 2000s, leading to multiple legal battles and a tarnished reputation for the Dera chief.
Ranjit Singh’s murder in 2002 was a pivotal incident that intensified scrutiny on Ram Rahim. Singh, who was involved in the administration of the Dera, was believed to have played a role in the circulation of an anonymous letter accusing Ram Rahim of sexual misconduct. This letter reportedly detailed how the Dera chief was exploiting female followers, leading to widespread outrage and legal action.
In 2021, a CBI court convicted Ram Rahim and four others for the murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The special court had ruled that it was proved beyond reasonable doubt that the Dera chief, aggrieved by the circulation of the letter, conspired with others to kill Ranjit Singh. Ram Rahim, who is 56 years old, challenged this conviction in the high court. The four others convicted by the CBI court were also acquitted today.
Ram Rahim remains in jail following previous convictions, including the rape of two sadhvis and the murder of journalist Ram Chander Prajapati, who reported extensively on the sexual assault allegations against the influential Dera chief.
The Dera Sacha Sauda first made headlines with shocking allegations of sexual assault against Ram Rahim, leading to a CBI investigation. In 2014, a decade after the probe began, the Dera chief claimed impotence, but the court rejected this. His conviction in 2017 sparked widespread violence and arson, resulting in the deaths of 30 people and over 250 injuries. The Army had to intervene to restore order. Ram Rahim is currently serving a 20-year jail term and has also challenged this conviction in the high court.
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