Ram Rahim plea: 4 months after reserving verdict, HC revives journo murder case; cites ‘emergence of new facts’

CHANDIGARH: Citing the "emergence of new facts", Punjab and Haryana high court has resumed hearing in the Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder case, more than four months after reserving its verdict on the appeal filed by Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and others.

"The appeals have been finally heard on Sept 25, 2025. However, while dictating the judgment, some new facts have emerged, which require further clarification for proper adjudication of the matter," a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal observed in its order released on Jan 30 while starting re-hearing of the matter.

On Jan 17, 2019, a special CBI court in Panchkula had sentenced the Dera chief and three others to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 for the 2002 murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, editor of ‘Poora Sach' newspaper.

The Dera chief challenged the conviction before HC, claiming that he had been falsely implicated by CBI as the first chargesheet against other accused, Nirmal, Kuldeep and Krishan Lal, had already been filed and none of them had alleged his involvement in the conspiracy.

Counsel for Gurmeet Ram Rahim contended that he was not named in the first chargesheet filed by police in 2002 and that his name was included in it "by way of revenge".

"The investigating agency failed to prove that the appellant ever read the said newspaper (‘Poora Sach'). As per the prosecution's own story, it was an evening newspaper and only reported news that had already been published by the morning newspapers. There was, thus, no question of the appellant having any grudge against the deceased," the dera chief's petition says.

The CBI, as well as the counsel representing the murdered journalist's family, had strongly opposed the Dera chief's plea. After final hearing in Sept last year, HC had reserved its verdict.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim is incarcerated in Rohtak's Sunaria jail since Aug 2017 after he was sentenced to 20 years in jail for the rape of two devotees. These days, he is on parole and is staying at his Sirsa based ashram.