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Murder case: HC restrains CBI judge from pronouncing verdict against Ram Rahim
The high court bench of justice Arvind Sangwan acted on the plea of victim Ranjit Singh’s son, Jagseer Singh. The CBI special judge, Sushil Kumar Garg, was to pronounce the judgment on August 26.
The high court on Tuesday restrained a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court, Panchkula, from pronouncing the final verdict in a murder case involving Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
The high court bench of justice Arvind Sangwan acted on the plea of victim Ranjit Singh’s son, Jagseer Singh, who had sought directions for the transfer of the case to any other court in the region. The CBI special judge, Sushil Kumar Garg, was to pronounce the judgment on August 26.
Ram Rahim is one of the accused in the murder of Ranjit Singh, committed in 2002. As per CBI, Ranjit Singh was murdered as Ram Rahim suspected that he was behind the circulation of an anonymous letter on sexual exploitation of female disciples on Dera premises. Ram Rahim stands convicted for 20 years rigorous imprisonment for raping two female disciples, in 2017 and subsequently convicted for life for the murder of a Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, who had published an article in his newspaper, regarding sexual exploitation of Sadhvis in Dera.
The son had questioned adjournments granted by the CBI judge a number of times since his joining in April this year. “Everything has been manipulated through the respondent No.2 (KP Singh, public prosecutor for CBI),” alleges the son. His plea also refers to some complaint pending before chief justice in which there are allegations of the CBI judge remaining in touch with an accused in an enforcement directorate case.
The plea states KP Singh, was previously posted with the CBI special court, Chandigarh, when Garg too was posted at Chandigarh and after his transfer to Panchkula, KP Singh too was transferred to Panchkula. He has been “interfering” in the “administration of justice” and is “influencing” the entire proceedings despite the fact there are two other special public prosecutors appointed for the trial, it was alleged.
If the CCTV footage installed in the court is seen, KP Singh, is attending the court even on Saturday, which is not a court working day, the son claimed further adding that he had reasonable “apprehension” that he may not “get justice” from the special judge.
The court while posting the matter for August 27 has sought comments from the CBI judge and issued notice to KP Singh and CBI. It further ordered that till the next date of hearing, final pronouncement of the judgment shall remain stayed. The court also asked CBI to file a specific affidavit about the appointment of KP Singh at CBI court, Panchkula, along with his posting order.
