Big Relief: High Court Acquits Ram Rahim in Journalist Chhatrapati Murder Case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has acquitted Ram Rahim of Dera Sacha Sauda in the journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati murder case. However, the court upheld the sentences of three accused, Kuldeep Singh, Nirmal Singh, and Krishan Lal.

Earlier, on January 17, 2019, a special CBI court in Panchkula sentenced Ram Rahim and all the other accused to seven years in prison. The accused had filed a petition against this in the High Court.

Delivering the verdict, the High Court stated that there was insufficient evidence to prove Ram Rahim's involvement in the murder, resulting in his acquittal.

Ram Rahim had previously been acquitted by the High Court in the murder of Dera manager Ranjeet. However, the CBI has challenged this sentence in the Supreme Court. Ram Rahim has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in the sexual exploitation of sadhvis case. Consequently, Ram Rahim will remain in prison.

Meanwhile, Ramchandra's son, Anshul, commented on the court's decision, saying that the CBI had argued the case well and presented all the evidence. It is wrong to exonerate Ram Rahim. We will now approach the Supreme Court.

Murder in 2002
Journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati had published some serious allegations against the Dera in his newspaper, after which he was shot and killed in 2002. This caused a significant uproar. The investigation was subsequently handed over to the CBI. After a lengthy hearing, the CBI Special Court convicted the Dera chief and other accused in the case, sentencing them to life imprisonment. All the accused filed appeals against this decision in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The High Court stated: Lack of evidence
During the hearing in the High Court, the defense and the CBI argued, but the court found the evidence insufficient. Meanwhile, against Kuldeep, Nirmal, and Kishan Lal, the court found that the evidence and witnesses available against them clearly established their roles. On this basis, the High Court upheld his life sentence.

Read what Ram Rahim's lawyer argued...

He was hit by a bullet made of soft lead: In court, Ram Rahim's lawyer, Basant Rai, argued that evidence had been tampered with. The bullet that struck the journalist was made of soft lead. This bullet is used in sniper and military equipment. Now, 23 years have passed, the marks and signatures on it are no longer visible.
The box was unsealed: Lawyer Basant Rai stated that the box in which the bullet that struck the journalist was kept had an AIIMS seal and the signature of a forensic expert. The box was also brought to court sealed. If the seal was never opened, how did the FSL expert examine the bullet? It's also unclear whether the marks were on the bullet or the box.
The High Court stated that there were no visible marks on the bullets. During the hearing, the High Court noted that no marks were visible on the bullets. The court asked the complainant's lawyer whether the forensic expert had signed the bullets or the container. The lawyer argued that the expert's signature was on the container. The bullets no longer bear any signature marks. Only after an investigation will it be clear whether the bullets were also signed.

Now, read in 2 points... Who was journalist Chhatrapati?

Published a letter about sexual abuse: Journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati was a resident of Sirsa district, Haryana. In 2000, he left his law practice and started his own newspaper in Sirsa. In 2002, someone sent him a letter detailing the sexual abuse of nuns at the Dera. Chhatrapati subsequently published the letter in his Evening Time newspaper on May 30, 2002. Shot dead with five bullets: After the letter was published in the newspaper, Chhatrapati began receiving repeated threats. Despite this, he continued to write against the Dera. The family alleged that he received repeated threats over a period of three to four months. On the night of October 19, 2002, Ramchandra was shot dead with five bullets while he was outside his home. He died two days later, on October 21, while undergoing treatment.