Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four associates walk free in a murder case. The Punjab and Haryana High Court overturned their convictions on May 28th. This comes after a special CBI court sentenced them to life imprisonment in 2021 for the 2002 murder of Ranjit Singh, a former Dera manager. Singh, himself a follower of the sect, was shot dead in Haryana's Kurukshetra district. It's important to note that Ram Rahim is already serving a 20-year sentence for raping two disciples.
He was murdered for his suspected role in the circulation of an anonymous letter, which narrated how women were being sexually exploited by the sect head at the Dera headquarters.
After his conviction by the CBI court in Panchkula, the sect chief appealed to the High Court.
On October 18, 2021, the court handed Ram Rahim and four others life imprisonment in the case. A fine of Rs 31 lakh was slapped on the Dera chief.
The Dera chief had challenged all the convictions before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. However, his appeal in the journalist murder case is pending.
Ram Rahim is currently lodged in Rohtak's Sunaria jail. He is presently serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples.
