Punjab and Haryana High Court Exonerates Dera Sacha Sauda Chief in Journalist Murder Case
In a significant verdict, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has exonerated Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim of conspiring in the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. The court held that the crime may have been committed by some followers driven by "excessive and single-minded zeal", rather than on direct instructions from the spiritual leader.
Court Criticizes CBI Investigation Methodology
The bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal, in their March 7 order uploaded on Monday, overturned the special CBI court's verdict that had sentenced Ram Rahim to life imprisonment. The High Court strongly criticized the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), recording that it appears a key witness—the preacher's former driver Khatta Singh—was coerced by the agency into making a statement.
"It is a matter of grave concern that a premier investigating agency adopted this kind of methodology with a view to succeeding in the matter," observed the court. The bench noted that the CBI was under pressure to conclude the investigation, which may have compromised procedural integrity.
Benefit of Doubt and Flawed Evidence
The High Court emphasized that where two possibilities reasonably exist—one pointing to guilt and the other to innocence—the accused is entitled to the benefit of doubt. The bench identified several critical flaws in the prosecution's case:
- Conflicting statements by Khatta Singh, who "kept tossing from one side to the other like a ping pong ball" and did not initially implicate the Dera chief in this specific case.
- Failure to examine Haryana SI Ram Chander, who recorded Chhatrapati's statement after the shooting, with the court calling this omission "extremely strange" and noting it created reasonable doubt.
- No effort to record Chhatrapati's statement while he was hospitalized in stable condition from October 26 to November 1, 2002.
Followers' Independent Action and Public Figure Dynamics
The court observed a "greater possibility" that the actual perpetrators—Krishan Lal, Nirmal, and Kuldeep Singh—may have acted on their own volition rather than on instructions from Ram Rahim. It noted that as the head of a socio-spiritual organization with millions of followers, the Dera chief is a prominent public figure with both supporters and detractors.
"Public figures often remain in the spotlight at times for good reasons and at times for bad ones," the bench stated, adding that their prominence can influence the narrative surrounding criminal allegations. The trial court should have closely examined whether there was overwhelming evidence directly implicating the Dera chief or whether followers could have acted independently.
Other Accused Remain Convicted, Technical Arguments Addressed
While exonerating Ram Rahim, the High Court upheld the convictions of the other accused, noting that evidence conclusively proves Chhatrapati died from gunshot injuries. The bench rejected arguments about bullet size discrepancies, stating that .32 bore revolvers (8.1mm diameter) could accommodate the recovered bullets, and witness statements were trustworthy on this point.
Initial Investigation Gaps and Solitary Witness Reliability
The court highlighted that in the initial stages, Chhatrapati's son only suspected Dera Sacha Sauda people were behind the attack but did not name Ram Rahim specifically. Even after CBI took over the investigation, the Dera chief was never named by co-accused in their disclosure statements.
The bench also questioned the reliability of the solitary witness to the alleged conspiracy, stating that "the trial court did not examine this aspect from the correct perspective." The 113-page verdict ultimately concluded that without direct, overwhelming evidence, the benefit of doubt must favor the accused in this high-profile murder conspiracy case.
