Supreme Court To Hear Plea Against Gurmeet Ram Rahim's Acquittal In Journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati Murder Case
Chhatrapati's son has approached Supreme Court against the Punjab and Haryana high court decision acquitting Ram Rahim in the 2002 murder of his father.
Supreme Court agrees to hear plea challenging judgment acquitting Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case.
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a plea filed by Aridaman Chhatrapati, son of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment acquitting Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case of his father.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana observed that the matter required consideration and has posted the matter for final hearing in the week commencing November 16.
Senior Advocate R Basant, appearing for Rahim, told court today that the State had not preferred any appeal against the High Court’s acquittal.
Justice Bagchi clarified that the case involves reversal of the conviction by the trial court. “It’s a reversal, it’s not an acquittal affirmed by the High Court,” Justice Bagchi said.
In March this year, the Punjab and Haryana high court acquitted Ram Rahim in the 2002 murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.
The dera chief, along with three others, was initially convicted by a special CBI court in Panchkula on January 17, 2019. The trial court had awarded life imprisonment to the accused and imposed a fine of ₹50,000. However, high court bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal set aside the conviction of Rahim while upholding the judgment against at two other accused in the case.
Chhatrapati was shot at point-blank range at his residence on October 24, 2002. The killing came months after a newspaper Pura Sach published an anonymous letter describing how women who joined the dera as sadhvis were sexually harassed and raped by the dera chief.
On January 17, 2019, the special CBI court in Panchkula sentenced Ram Rahim and three others to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹50,000. Ram Rahim and the other accused challenged the order in 2019, claiming they had been falsely implicated.
Case Title: ARIDAMAN Vs BABA GURMEET SINGH @ MAHARAJ GURMEET SINGH @ GURMEET RAM RAHIM SINGH
Bench: CJI Kant, Justice Bagchi and Justice Mohana
Hearing Date: August 10, 2026