Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Acquitted In 2002 Journalist Killing Case
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh acquitted in the 2002 journalist murder case, reigniting public debate and victim outrage.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 7, 2026, acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, overturning his life imprisonment sentence imposed by a special CBI court in Panchkula in January 2019. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal set aside the conviction against Ram Rahim while upholding the life sentences for three other accused in the case. The decision, delivered more than seven years after the original conviction, marks a significant legal relief for the controversial self-styled godman, whose lawyer Jitender Khurana confirmed the acquittal.
The murder occurred on October 24, 2002, when Ram Chander Chhatrapati, editor of the Hindi newspaper Poora Sach in Sirsa, was shot at point-blank range outside his residence. The killing followed the publication of an anonymous letter in his paper alleging sexual exploitation and rape of female disciples by Ram Rahim at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters. The case, initially investigated locally, was transferred to the CBI, which charged Ram Rahim and others with conspiracy to murder. In 2019, the trial court found them guilty based on evidence including witness testimonies and circumstantial links, imposing life terms and fines.
Despite the acquittal in this case, Ram Rahim remains incarcerated, serving a 20-year sentence for the 2017 conviction in the rape of two female disciples. He has faced multiple legal proceedings, including an earlier acquittal in May 2024 in the separate 2002 murder of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh. The high court's ruling in the Chhatrapati case has drawn mixed reactions, with some viewing it as a correction of investigative flaws, while others, including the victim's family, have indicated plans to challenge it in the Supreme Court.
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The verdict highlights ongoing debates over the handling of high-profile cases involving influential figures, particularly given Ram Rahim's history of frequent paroles—over a dozen since his rape conviction—and political controversies surrounding his influence in Haryana and Punjab. The CBI's prosecution in the journalist murder relied on establishing motive tied to the exposé, but the high court appears to have found insufficient grounds to sustain the conviction against him specifically.
As appeals and potential further litigation loom, the acquittal adds another layer to Ram Rahim's complex legal saga. It does not alter his current imprisonment status but underscores the protracted nature of justice in cases dating back over two decades, leaving questions about accountability in the 2002 killing amid broader scrutiny of the Dera's operations and its leader's role in public life.
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