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Amit Bathla
Tribune News Service
Panchkula, October 8
A special CBI court here on Friday convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and four others in the murder case of a sect follower, Ranjit Singh.
Also read: Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s driver was crucial in proving murder conspiracy: CBI
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The court of special CBI judge Dr Sushil Kumar Garg held Gurmeet Ram Rahim, Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, Avtar Singh and Sabdil Singh guilty under Sections 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.
Further, Sabdil Singh and Jasbir Singh, who were shooters as per the eyewitness, have also been held guilty under the Arms Act. Another accused, Inder Sain, died in October last year.
The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on October 12.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim is currently lodged in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail after being convicted and sentenced for raping his two disciples and murdering journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.
On October 5, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed a petition filed by Ranjit Singh’s son seeking transfer of the case from Panchkula to any other special CBI court in Haryana, Punjab or Chandigarh, alleging that “everything has been manipulated through CBI public prosecutor KP Singh”.
Justice Avneesh Jhingan had ruled that the trial could not be transferred on mere apprehensions. The order paved the way for the CBI court to pronounce its verdict, which it had earlier fixed for August 26. During today’s hearing, CBI special public prosecutor HPS Verma requested before the court to “provide adequate security to him and KP Singh given the sensitivity of the case”.
The court said, “The Haryana DGP may consider in right earnest feasibility and requirement to provide security to both the lawyers as per rules.”
Timeline
June 16, 2002: Dera chief hatches conspiracy to kill Ranjit Singh for exposing exploitation of disciples
July 10: Ranjit Singh shot dead on his way home at his village in Kurukshetra
October 24: Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati murdered for raising the matter
2003: CBI registers FIR against dera chief and others
2007-08: Charges framed against accused
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