Dera Chief convicted for disciple murder

Chandigarh: The CBI Special Court in Panchkula on Friday convicted Sirsa based Dera Sacha Sauda's Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for the murder of his disciple Ranjit Singh.

The CBI Special Judge Sushil Kumar today held Ram Rahim and four others – Krishan Lal, Sabdil Singh, Jasbir Singh and Avtar Singh - guilty in the murder of Ranjit Singh, a resident of Khanpur Kolian village of Kurukshetra district of Haryana. The court will pronounce judgment on the quantum of punishment on October 12. Ram Rahim is currently lodged in Rohtak's Sunaria jail after his conviction in the rape of two sadhvis and murder of a journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

Earlier, on October 5, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed a petition seeking the transfer of the case from Panchkula CBI Special Judge to any other Special CBI court in Haryana, Punjab or Chandigarh.

The murder took place on July 10, 2002. The Dera follower was shot dead when he was returning from his fields in his native village in Kurukshetra district.

The CBI had, however, registered an FIR in this case on the order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued on November 10, 2003.