Supreme Court notice to Dera chief as CBI challenges his murder case acquittal

The case relates to the alleged murder of Ranjit Singh, who was a manager in the sect.

Appearing for the CBI, SG Tushar Mehta pointed out that another Bench had in September 2024 issued notice on the appeal filed by the complainant. Taking note, the Bench tagged the matter with the one from September and directed that the other Bench would hear it.

A CBI court in Panchkula had convicted the accused – Ram Rahim, Jasbir Singh (who has since died), Sabdil Singh, Krishan Lal and Avtar Singh – and sentenced them to life in 2021.

Ranjit Singh, one of the managers at the Dera in Sirsa, was shot dead on July 10, 2002, at Khanpur Kolian village in Kurukshetra. An FIR on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy was registered. On November 10, 2003, the High Court ordered a CBI investigation into the case. According to the CBI chargesheet, the Dera chief allegedly suspected Ranjit Singh of circulating an anonymous letter accusing Ram Rahim of sexually exploiting women followers.

Acquitting Ram Rahim and four others, the Bench said that “the car which was allegedly used in the commission of the crime event was never seized… (prosecution witnesses) in their respective statements stated that all four assailants were armed with firearm weapons, but none of those weapons became seized by the CBI… There was no site plan prepared by the CBI of the place where the alleged conspiracy was hatched on June 16, 2002.”