HC acquits Gurmeet Ram Rahim in Ranjit Singh's murder case

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was acquitted by Punjab & Haryana High Court on Tuesday in the murder case of his ex-manager Ranjit Singh. Division bench comprising Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Lalit Batra of the HC passed these orders while allowing an appeal filed by Ram Rahim against his conviction.

He was was convicted by special CBI court Panchkula in rape and two murder cases related to killing of journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati and former Dera manager Ranjit Singh.

Ram Rahim had challenged all the convictions in Punjab and Haryana High Court.


Although his appeals regarding rape cases and the Ram Chander Chhattarpati murder case are still awaiting decisions, he has been cleared of charges in the Ranjit Singh murder case.

On October 18, 2021 the special CBI court in Panchkula had awarded life imprisonment to Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and four others. One of the accused had died during the trial. The CBI judge had also slapped a fine of Rs 31 lakh on the dera chief.

He is also serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples and is currently lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak.

Former dera manager Ranjit Singh was shot dead in 2002.

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.