Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday quashed charges against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the Ranjit Singh Murder Case. The High Court has cancelled the decision given by the special CBI court in this case and acquitted five persons, including Ram Rahim. The special court in Panchkula had earlier announced the sentence in this case, which was later challenged in the High Court.

The Special Court of Panchkula had awarded life imprisonment to five convicts, including Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, in the Ranjit Singh murder case. Along with this, a fine of Rs 31 lakh was imposed on Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The CBI, however, demanded the death penalty for Gurmeet Ram Rahim.  

ALSO READ: Pune Porsche Crash: Accused’s Father Paid Rs 3 Lakh To Doctors To Manipulate Teen’s Blood Sample

All the convicts were sentenced under various sections of the IPC. Ram Rahim's lawyer, Ajay Verma, had said that they would challenge this decision in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Ram Rahim Singh is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples. In 2021, the Dera chief, along with four others, was also convicted for hatching a conspiracy to kill Ranjit Singh, a Dera manager. However, he was acquitted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this case. The Dera chief and three others were convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist more than 16 years ago.   

ALSO READ: SC Refuses Urgent Hearing Of Arvind Kejriwal's Interim Bail Extension Plea

Ram Rahim is currently lodged in Rohtak's Sunaria Jail. BJP-led Haryana government often attracted ire for granting parole to Ram Rahim on a regular basis. Last time, Ram Rahim was granted a 50-day parole in January.