Setback for Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as Supreme Court lifts stay on 2015 sacrilege cases

The Supreme Court lifted the stay imposed by Punjab and Haryana high court on proceedings against jailed Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Bargari sacrilege of 2015.

Updated on: Oct 18, 2024, 12:11:05 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Supreme Court on Friday lifted the stay imposed by Punjab and Haryana High Court on proceedings against jailed Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in three interlinked Bargari Sacrilege of 2015.

Dera Sacha Sauda chief and rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim. (HT file photo)

The incidents related to the theft of a ‘bir’ (copy) of the Guru Ganth Sahib, putting up handwritten sacrilegious posters and torn pages of the holy book found scattered at Bargari had taken place in Faridkot in 2015.

These incidents had led to protests in Faridkot. In the police firing at protesters in October 2015, two persons were killed in Behbal Kalan while some people were injured at Kotkapura in Faridkot.

The interlinking of the Bargari sacrilege with Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the controversial head of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, emerged later. Ram Rahim, who has been involved in various controversies, was accused by many Sikh groups of being behind the sacrilege, although there has not been a direct, conclusive link proven in court as of now.

During the investigation into the sacrilege cases, certain individuals with alleged connections to the Dera Sacha Sauda were arrested. Some witnesses and investigative reports pointed to the involvement of Dera followers in orchestrating the desecration, further fueling suspicions about Ram Rahim's involvement.

The issue became politically charged in Punjab, with various political parties accusing each other of shielding the Dera or failing to investigate the matter properly. The sacrilege issue, along with police firing on protesters in Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura, became major election issues in Punjab.

Ram Rahim's legal troubles

Ram Rahim was convicted in 2017 for rape and involvement in murders, which led to his imprisonment. His conviction only added to the mistrust and allegations, although he has not been legally convicted for the Bargari sacrilege itself.

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