Disgraced godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh gets life term in journalist murder case

A special CBI court on Thursday awarded life imprisonment to jailed godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the murder case of a journalist. The sentence will run consecutively, which means Ram Rahim will serve the term after completing his two other similar terms awarded for raping two of his followers. 

His three other accomplices, Krishan Lal, Kuldeep Singh and Nirmal Singh were also given life sentence by special judge Jagdeep Singh who also fined Former Dera manager Krishan and Nirmal ₹55000 each. Ram Rahim and Kuldeep have been imposed a fine of ₹50000 each. The four were found guilty of criminal conspiracy and murdering Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati in 2002 by the court on January 11. Talking to DNA, CBI counsel HPS Verma clarified that the new jail term will start after ram Rahim's 20-year Rigorous Imprisonment in the rape case ends. He further told that he had demanded capital punishment for the cult head as he had “tried to demolish the fourth pillar of democracy”, referring to the media. 

Ram Rahim and the three other convicts appeared through video conferencing in the court on Thursday afternoon after the CBI court a day before, approved an application moved by the Haryana government for VC, citing security measures. The court convened in the afternoon and the proceedings lasted for four hours during which arguments were also held over the quantum of sentence. While the defence had sought “leniency” from the court, the CBI counsel stood their ground for no relief and demanded capital punishment. After holding the court for extended hours, judge Jagdeep Singh eventually announced life term to Ram Rahim who looked distraught throughout the hearing according to sources. Sources also told DNA that Ram Rahim let out a sob after hearing the verdict and simply nodded towards the judge when he announced the orders. He remained sullen but was bereft of any public display of emotion. 

Meanwhile, Khatta Singh, the baba’s former driver who was a witness in the case and was present in the court hailed the punishment. Standing next to Anshul Chhatrapati, son of the slain journalist, he was all smiles while addressing the media. Overwhelmed with emotion, Anshul said that the judgment has reposed his faith in the good. “My father has started a campaign to bring out the truth. His murder was an attack on the Fourth Estate. but we have heaved a sigh of relief today that his killers have been punished through capital punishment would have been the ideal closure,” he said. 

The case- In May 2002, Chhatrapati had published an anonymous letter in his paper Poora Sach, detailing harrowing account of girls and women being sexually exploited by Gurmeet at the Dera in Sirsa. He was shot on the evening of October 24, 2002, at his residence by Kuldeep Singh and Nirmal Singh using Lal’s licensed .32 bore revolver. The victim was rushed to a government hospital from where he was referred to PGIMS, Rohtak. He was shifted to Apollo Hospital, New Delhi on November 8, 2002, where he succumbed to death a few days later on November 21. While Kuldeep was arrested from the spot immediately after he shot Chhatrapati, Nirmal was nabbed on October 26, 2002. The police recovered a walkie talkie from his possession which belonged to the Dera and Lal’s revolver. The Haryana police filed a charge sheet in the case in December 2002 but did not name the Dera chief in it. Chhatrapati's son Anshul then moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court which transferred the case to the CBI in November 2003. The CBI, in its charge sheet, said that they were able to establish that the four had hatched a conspiracy to kill the journalist following the publication of the article.