New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Monday issued a notice to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, demanding his response regarding his acquittal in the 2002 murder case of his former manager, Ranjit Singh. The Apex Court agreed to examine the Punjab and Haryana High Courts order, which had acquitted Ram Rahim and four other accused in the case.This decision follows a petition filed by Jagseer Singh, who challenged the High Courts acquittal, citing tainted and sketchy investigations. A bench comprising Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma has given Ram Rahim and the other accused four weeks to respond to the petition. The plea, represented by advocate Satya Mitra, disputes the High Courts May 28 order.Ram Rahim currently serving 20 years for rapeGurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is already serving a 20-year sentence for the rape of two of his disciples and is incarcerated at Sunaria Jail in Haryanas Rohtak district. His former manager, Ranjit Singh, was shot dead on July 10, 2002, in Kurukshetra, Haryana. The motive behind the killing was reportedly Ranjits suspected involvement in the circulation of an anonymous letter that exposed the sexual exploitation of women at the Dera headquarters.In 2021, a special CBI court had convicted Ram Rahim and four others for Ranjit Singhs murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment. However, in 2023, the High Court overturned the CBI courts conviction, citing insufficient evidence and motive. The Supreme Courts decision to revisit this acquittal now raises questions about the legal fate of Ram Rahim and his co-accused.
