Security beefed up across Panchkula as Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to face trial in two murder cases today

Security has been beefed up across Panchkula town in Haryana, ahead of the crucial hearing against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in two murder cases on Saturday.

File photo

New Delhi: Security has been beefed up across Panchkula town in Haryana, as rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will face trial in two murder cases through video conferencing in the special CBI court on Saturday. 

As per the reports, contingents of paramilitary troops and the Haryana Police have been deployed in around the court complex and other areas in Panchkula to prevent any untoward incident. 

Haryana Director General of Police B S Sandhu informed media,“We have made adequate security arrangements ahead of the hearing in the cases."

“The hearing in the cases against Ram Rahim, who is lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak, will be conducted through video conferencing,” Sandhu said.

Ram Rahim Singh will appear before a CBI special court through video conferencing from the Rohtak jail where is lodged after being sentenced to 20 years in prison in two rape cases.

The CBI court is hearing the cases of murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and former Dera manager Ranjit Singh.

Sirsa-based journalist Chhatrapati was shot at in October 2002 after the evening newspaper ‘Poora Sach’, owned by him, published an anonymous letter narrating how women were allegedly being sexually exploited by the sect head at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa. He died later.

The second case relates to the murder of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh who was allegedly shot dead in 2002. He was murdered for his suspected role in the circulation of the anonymous letter, which had made the sexual exploitation allegations, according to the prosecution. 

Earlier in November 2003, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered CBI probe into the cases after hearing the plea of families of both the victims. 

On the other hand, the self-styled godman was sentenced to 20 year jail sentence on August 28 in the two rape cases by the special CBI Court.

Several parts of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan had witnessed large-scale violence following his conviction in the two rape cases on August 25.

Reports claimed that forty-one people were killed in Haryana in the violence.

(With inputs from PTI)