COURTESY HT FEB 4

Ram Rahim withdraws plea from high court
Ranjit, an ex-follower of Ram Rahim, was shot dead by four assailants in 2002

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
HT Correspondent

chandigarh@hindustantimes.com

CHANDIGARH : Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, on Wednesday, withdrew a plea from the Punjab and Haryana high court in which he had sought deferring of trial court hearings before a Panchkula special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Ranjit Singh murder case.

The case before trial court is in the final stage of arguments. The Dera head, in the plea, had argued that due to Covid-19 outbreak his counsel was not available to appear before the trial court. Hence, it be directed to defer hearing by four weeks.

However, when the case was taken up by the high court bench of justice Gurvinder Singh Gill on Wednesday, Ram Rahim’s counsel had sought permission to withdraw the plea.

The bench, while allowing the same, observed that if convenient, the trial court may consider hearing the counsel representing the other accused in the first instance before calling upon Ram Rahim for making his submissions.

Ranjit Singh, a former follower of Ram Rahim, was shot dead by four assailants on July 10, 2002, at his native village Khanpur Kolian in Kurukshetra allegedly after he had “raised his voice” against the Dera head.

Ram Rahim is lodged in a Rohtak jail after his conviction in two rape cases of 2002. Subsequently, he was also convicted in a 2002 murder case of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati.