In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, challenging the relief he received from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an appeal against the High Court’s decision, which had acquitted Singh in the high-profile murder case of Ranjit Singh.
Ranjit Singh, a manager at the Sirsa Dera, was brutally murdered on the evening of July 10, 2002. His case was initially handled by local police but due to dissatisfaction with the police investigation, his son Jagseer Singh petitioned the High Court in January 2003, demanding a CBI probe. The High Court ruled in favor of Jagseer Singh, and the investigation was handed over to the CBI. Following a thorough investigation, the CBI eventually filed a case against five individuals, including Ram Rahim, in 2003.
The CBI’s investigation led to Ram Rahim’s conviction and a life sentence in 2007. However, in May 2024, the Punjab and Haryana High Court overturned the life sentence, acquitting Ram Rahim. The High Court noted inconsistencies in the evidence presented, including unaccounted firearms and the recovery of the vehicle used in the crime. The court mentioned that the gun alleged to have been used in the shooting was logged in the armory at the time of the incident, and other weapons used by the assailants were never recovered.
This decision by the High Court has been challenged by the CBI in the Supreme Court, arguing that the evidence presented was credible and that the High Court’s decision to acquit Ram Rahim was erroneous. The Supreme Court has now taken cognizance of the CBI’s appeal and issued notices not only to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh but also to four others associated with the case.
The case has been a topic of intense public and media scrutiny due to the controversial status of Ram Rahim and the violent circumstances surrounding Ranjit Singh’s murder. With the Supreme Court’s involvement, it is expected that the final adjudication will bring a long-awaited resolution to this prolonged legal battle.
