CBI under scrutiny: Ram Rahim’s acquittal raises disturbing questions

THE acquittal of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder case is a huge setback not only to the slain journalist’s family but also to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the case against Ram Rahim beyond a reasonable doubt, even as it upheld the conviction of three other accused. The verdict, which comes seven years after a special CBI court convicted the Dera Sacha Sauda head and others for the 2002 killing and sentenced them to life imprisonment, has exposed gaping holes in the probe.

The high court sharply criticised the handling of evidence by the investigating agency, particularly the reliance on the testimony of a key witness who, in the HC’s words, “kept on tossing from one side to the other like a ping-pong ball.” Such observations are troubling because they point to deeper flaws in the methods adopted by investigators in high-profile cases. Chhatrapati’s murder was widely believed to be linked to his newspaper’s publication of an anonymous letter which alleged that women followers were sexually exploited on the dera’s premises. The all-important question was whether Ram Rahim had ordered the revenge killing. The trial court ruled in 2019 that he was guilty, but now it’s back to the drawing board for the prosecutors. In May 2024, the HC had overturned another special CBI court order and acquitted Ram Rahim in the 2002 case of murder of the sect’s ex-manager, Ranjit Singh.

At stake is the credibility of the CBI, which is already on a sticky wicket after a Delhi court discharged Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case. Justice depends heavily on the integrity and competence of probe officials. Even a seemingly open-and-shut case has to be backed by irrefutable evidence. Accountability must be fixed especially when serious charges against public figures fall flat in the courtroom.