Punjab & Haryana High Court Acquits Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in 2002 Journalist Murder Case
Verdicto News Desk 
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, more than seven years after he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu allowed the appeals filed by Ram Rahim and the other accused, setting aside the conviction awarded by the Special CBI Court in Panchkula in January 2019.
Ram Rahim had been held guilty of conspiring in the murder of Chhatrapati, a journalist who had published an anonymous letter in his newspaper alleging sexual exploitation inside the Dera Sacha Sauda sect. Shortly after the publication of the letter in 2002, Chhatrapati was shot by two assailants outside his residence in Sirsa, Haryana. He later succumbed to his injuries.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the probe following directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, had argued before the trial court that the murder was carried out to silence the journalist after the allegations against the Dera chief surfaced in the press.
In January 2019, the Special CBI Court had convicted Ram Rahim and four others for their role in the killing and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The conviction was seen as a major development in a case that had drawn national attention and raised serious concerns about the safety of journalists reporting on powerful religious institutions.
However, the High Court on Saturday overturned the conviction after hearing the appeals filed by the accused. The detailed judgment is awaited and will clarify the court’s reasoning for setting aside the earlier verdict.
Ram Rahim, who heads the Dera Sacha Sauda sect headquartered in Sirsa, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2017 in two rape cases involving women disciples.
The acquittal in the Chhatrapati murder case is likely to trigger legal and public debate, particularly regarding witness protection, journalistic safety, and the evidentiary standards required in conspiracy and murder trials.
Further legal options remain open to the prosecution, including the possibility of challenging the High Court’s decision before the Supreme Court.
