CBI allows Ram Rahim to go abroad to promote his third film
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court, Haryana, on Saturday allowed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to go abroad to promote his next film, MSG Online Gurukul, which is based on “Hindu Vedas”.
The self-styled godman also wanted to shoot for his fourth film abroad. Ram Rahim has made two films — MSG: The Messenger and MSG-2 The Messenger.
Ram Rahim had submitted that his new film, MSG Online Gurukul, will give a message to the world about the Vedas and Hindu culture. He also told the court that he needed to shoot a patriotic film, Hind Ka Napak Ko Jawab MSG Lion Heart-2, during his trip abroad too.
Ram Rahim has been facing trial in a rape and two murder cases at the CBI court. The court has asked him to give a surety of ₹10 lakh each in all the three cases.
It is important to mention here that earlier too, Ram Rahim had sought permission to go abroad for promoting his films, which was allowed twice. This time he was to go abroad from February 1 to 28.
“The petitioner has to visit Dubai, Indonesia, Macau, Maldives, Malaysia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand for film promotion. There is a trend in the film industry that the cast of the film goes abroad for promoting the film, before and after its release. Earlier too, permission was granted,” said SK Garg Narwana, counsel for Ram Rahim.
“We have opposed the application. These all are delaying tactics,” said HPS Verma, counsel for the CBI.
THREE CASES PENDING
In the rape case filed against Ram Rahim, there are two victims. The case is at the stage of final arguments though the high court had put a stay on pronouncement of final judgment as one of the applications is pending before it. In 2002, anonymous letters stating that ‘sadhvis’ (female follower) at the Dera Sacha Sauda were facing sexual exploitation were circulated following which the CBI registered a case on the orders of the high court.
The Ranjit Singh murder case, too, is in the final stages. Ranjit Singh was allegedly murdered on July 10, 2002, by dera followers in Kurukshetra. The CBI alleges that Ranjit Singh was killed as Ram Rahim suspected him to be behind an anonymous letter of a sadhvi levelling allegations of sexual exploitation against him.
In the Ram Chander Chattrapati murder case also is in the final stages. Chhatrapati was shot on October 24, 2002, for writing against illegal activities inside Dera, as per the CBI case. The CBI alleges that he was killed on Ram Rahim’s orders.