The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday opposed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s application for forensic examination of a letter allegedly written by one of the rape victims.
Ram Rahim is facing a rape case involving two victims before the CBI special court, Haryana, here. The letter is an important part of the defence evidence in the case.
CBI special public prosecutor HPS Verma submitted before the court, “The letter is claimed to be written by the rape victim in April 2001. But this was never produced by the accused (Ram Rahim) before any court or any forum or even before the investigating agency. It was brought before the court only after about eight years, when the cross-examination of the rape victim was in progress.”
The victim during her crossexamination had denied that she had ever written such a letter.
Verma told the court, “The accused (Ram Rahim) has not been able to explain in whose possession the letter was during these eight years, why he kept mum about it and why it was not produced before any authority or court or forum.”
He said, “The accused failed to bring any expert witness for comparison of handwriting despite being given an opportunity by the court. Now, the court is not under obligation to summon any particular expert witness or send the specimen handwriting of the victim with the disputed handwriting to any particular agency as desired by the accused because it has got the inherent powers to compare the two handwritings itself and arrive at a just conclusion.”
{{/usCountry}}He said, “The accused failed to bring any expert witness for comparison of handwriting despite being given an opportunity by the court. Now, the court is not under obligation to summon any particular expert witness or send the specimen handwriting of the victim with the disputed handwriting to any particular agency as desired by the accused because it has got the inherent powers to compare the two handwritings itself and arrive at a just conclusion.”
{{/usCountry}}The CBI said the trial court had already closed the defence evidence and it had also been upheld by the high court. “So, now the trial court cannot review its own order,” said Verma.
Ram Rahim had moved an application on May 9, 2009, requesting for obtaining specimen signature or handwriting of the rape victim for comparison with her disputed handwriting appearing in the letter, so that it may be compared and examined.
Accordingly, specimen signature and handwriting of the victim were obtained in the court on July 17, 2013.
Ram Rahim’s counsel said the letter was an important part of their defence as no allegation of rape was made in the letter and the dera chief had been cited as “Pitaji”.
The CBI special court will pronounce the order on Ram Rahim’s application on April 6.