SC upholds Dera chief146;s interim bail

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to quash the interim bail granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim in criminal cases filed against him by the CBI.

A Bench of Justices Ashok Bhan and V S Sirpurkar, while dismissing the Special Leave Petition filed by the family member of a murder victim, upheld the contention of the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the accused was entitled to an interim bail as the CBI had not arrested him during the investigations. The family of Ram Chander Chhattarrapati, a scribe who was allegedly murdered at the behest of the Dera chief, filed the petition. On September 17, the HC had granted interim bail to the Dera chief till the Sessions Court in Ambala decided on the plea for a regular bail moved by the accused in the three cases registered against him. The Bench found no merit in the submission of the petitioner that the Dera chief was not entitled to any bail since he was charged for heinous offences, including two murders and a rape.

The HC had ruled that Rahim would have to appear before the Sessions Court and file a petition for regular bail, upon which he shall be released on interim bail. The HC had granted bail citing reason that during the investigations by the CBI, the agency had not arrested him so it was not necessary to arrest him till a decision was taken by the trial court on the plea for a regular bail.