Ram Rahim Faces legal setback: supreme court Issues notice in Ranjit Singh murder case

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Supreme Court has issued a notice on a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision to acquit Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, and four other individuals in the murder case of former manager Ranjit Singh.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar has sought a response from the accused, who were acquitted in the case. The petition filed by CBI challenges the May 28, 2024 ruling of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which overturned the CBI court’s verdict and acquitted the five accused, including Ram Rahim.

Ranjit Singh, the manager of Dera Sacha Sauda, was murdered on July 10, 2002, in the village of Khanpur Koliyaan in Kurukshetra, Haryana. In October 2021, the special CBI court in Panchkula sentenced Ram Rahim and the other accused – Avtar Singh, Krishna Lal, Jasbir Singh, and Sabdeel Singh – to life imprisonment. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted all five accused on May 28, 2024. The Supreme Court’s notice has now brought the matter to the forefront for further proceedings.