Gurmeet Ram Rahim convicted for murder by special CBI Court

Former Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted for the murder of Ranjeet Singh on Friday by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Panchkula (CBI vs. Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim)..Special Judge Sushil Kumar Garg also found the four other accused guilty of offences under Sections 302 (Murder), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code."Accused Jasbir Singh, Sabdil Singh and Krishan Lal have been held guilty and convicted for the commission of offence punishable under Section 302 read with 120-B IPC. Further all the accused, namely, Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Avtar Singh, Jasbir Singh, Sabdil Singh and Krishan Lal have been held guilty and convicted for the offence punishable under Section 120-B IPC read with Section 302 IPC and Section 506 read with Section 120-B IPC. Further accused Sabdil Singh has also been held guilty and convicted for the commission of offence under Section 27 of Arms Act, 1959," the Court ordered.The Special Judge will hear the matter on the issue of sentence on October 12..The trial came to an end today after a long, litigious journey.Before the CBI Court was set to deliver the verdict in the murder trial, Jagseer Singh, the son of the victim, had moved the Punjab & Haryana High Court seeking a transfer of the trial to any other CBI court in Haryana, Punjab or Chandigarh. Singh had claimed that the special judge holding the trial was unduly influenced by the public prosecutor of the CBI.During the pendency of the transfer petition, the pronouncement of verdict by the CBI Court was stayed..However, the High Court did not find merit in the plea, stating that the allegations of proximity between the public prosecutor and judge were based on hearsay and dismissed the plea..Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is already convicted and sentenced to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment for the rape of two women followers and was also convicted for life for the murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chatterpati who published an article regarding sexual exploitation of Sadhvis in the Dera..[Read Order]