The special CBI Court of Panchkula on Friday held Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty for the murder of his disciple, Ranjit Singh. The Court also convicted four others in the case. The quantum of the sentence will be pronounced on October 12.
The court held Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Jasbir Singh, Sabdil Singh, Krishan Lal and Inder Sain guilty under Sections 302 (murder) and 120 b (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. Krishan Lal, Inder Sain and Jasbir Singh have also been held guilty under the Arms Act.
A detailed copy of the court order is yet to be released.
According to the CBI chargesheet, the Dera chief suspected Ranjit Singh, who was also the manager of the Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa (Haryana), of circulating an anonymous letter accusing the Dera chief of sexually exploiting women followers (sadhvis) inside the Dera. This was the same letter, which Sirsa-based journalist, Ram Chander Chhatrapati, highlighted in his news report. Chhatrapati was also subsequently killed.
The Dera chief was also recently convicted in the Chhatrapati murder case.
Ranjit Singh was murdered on July 10, 2002 in Kurukshetra in Haryana, to which an FIR was registered at Thanesar police station on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy. On November 10, 2003, the High Court had ordered a CBI investigation in the case.
