The Supreme Court docket as we speak listed for remaining listening to a plea difficult Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s acquittal in a journalist’s homicide case, noting that the matter required consideration.
A bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana issued discover on the petition filed by the journalist’s son Aridaman, difficult the order of the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Court docket, which held that the CBI coerced a witness into giving an announcement implicating Ram Rahim.
Through the listening to, Senior Advocate R Basanth, for Ram Rahim, identified that the State had not most well-liked an attraction towards the impugned order. The CJI in response mentioned that the Court docket was “equally acutely aware” of the truth that the state may not file an attraction.
Insofar because it was submitted that submitting of an attraction towards acquittal is a uncommon occasion, Justice Bagchi famous that the case at hand was certainly one of reversal – that’s, the Particular Court docket had convicted and sentenced Ram Rahim to life imprisonment, however the Excessive Court docket reversed the choice and returned an acquittal.
The Court docket orally indicated that it could take into account the particular circumstances attending the Excessive Court docket’s appreciation of the testimony of prosecution witness No.31. Accordingly, it listed the case for remaining listening to in November.
Senior Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, alongwith AoR Rupali Samuel, appeared for the petitioner.
Background
Ram Chhatrapati, editor of the night each day Pura Sach, was shot exterior his residence in Sirsa on October 24, 2002. He later succumbed to gunshot accidents on November 21, 2002 at Apollo Hospital in Delhi. The assault was allegedly carried out after he printed studies accusing Ram Rahim of sexual exploitation of girls followers on the Dera.
An FIR was registered underneath Sections 307 and 34 of the IPC and provisions of the Arms Act at Police Station Metropolis, Sirsa. After Chhatrapati’s demise, the offence was transformed to homicide underneath Part 302 IPC and conspiracy underneath Part 120-B IPC.
Following petitions earlier than the Excessive Court docket alleging a flawed investigation by the Haryana Police, the probe was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2003.
In 2019, a Particular CBI Court docket convicted Ram Rahim together with Kuldeep Singh, Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal (Dera supervisor) for conspiracy and homicide, sentencing them to life imprisonment.
In March, 2026, the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Court docket acquitted Ram Rahim, however upheld the conviction and life sentence of Kuldeep Singh, Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal. A Division Bench of the Court docket opined that from the circumstances, the only real witness – Khatta Singh appeared to have been pressured by the CBI to implicate Ram Rahim.
Case : ARIDAMAN v. BABA GURMEET SINGH @ MAHARAJ GURMEET SINGH @ GURMEET RAM RAHIM SINGH AND ANR. Diary No. 40480-2026
