Punjab and Haryana High Court Acquits Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Ranjit Singh Murder Case

Punjab and Haryana High Court Acquits Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Ranjit Singh Murder Case

On May 28, 2024, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of the 2002 murder of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh. Despite this acquittal, Ram Rahim Singh continues to be imprisoned in Rohtak, Haryana, due to prior convictions in other cases.

In August 2017, Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of two counts of rape and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The case stemmed from an anonymous letter in 2002, which alleged that he sexually exploited female followers. This letter led to an investigation by the CBI, culminating in his conviction. Additionally, in January 2019, he was convicted of the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, who had published the anonymous letter in his newspaper. Both convictions are currently under appeal in the High Court.

The case involving the murder of Ranjit Singh dates back to July 2002. Singh was murdered in Sirsa, Haryana, and in November 2003, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the CBI to investigate. According to the CBI’s chargesheet, Ram Rahim Singh believed that Ranjit Singh had circulated the anonymous letter accusing him of sexual exploitation, and thus had him killed. In October 2021, a special CBI court found Ram Rahim Singh and four of his followers guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment. However, this conviction was overturned by the High Court on May 28, 2024.

Another serious allegation against Ram Rahim Singh involves the forced castration of around 400 male followers. In July 2012, follower Hansraj Chauhan filed a petition claiming that between 1999 and 2000, these men were coerced into undergoing castration surgeries based on false promises of spiritual benefits. The Punjab and Haryana High Court handed over this case to the CBI in December 2014, and the investigation is still ongoing.