Ram Rahim to be produced through video-conferencing

Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service
Panchkula, January 16

In a major relief to the Haryana Government, the Special CBI Court on Wednesday accepted the plea of appearance of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and three other accused through video-conferencing on Thursday, when the Special CBI Judge would pronounce the quantum of sentence in journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder case.

Special CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh ordered the production of Ram Rahim from the Sunaria jail in Rohtak and the other three — Nirmal Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Krishan Lal — lodged in Ambala jail, through video-conferencing in the Special CBI Court in Panchkula.

“Since all convicts have been directed to be produced through video-conferencing, the superintendents of the jails will ensure necessary arrangements in this regard, including making available their official e-mail IDs in advance, so that effective opportunity of hearing is ensured to the convicts. The state authorities are directed to ensure smooth functioning of video-conferencing and other necessary arrangements so that copies of the judgment can be delivered immediately to the convicts as per law,” read the order.

The Haryana Government had filed an application through the district attorney for producing Ram Rahim through video-conferencing. He stated that after Ram Rahim was convicted of rape in two cases, Panchkula had witnessed large-scale violence.

CBI counsel HPS Verma had stated that they had no objection if Ram Rahim was produced in court through video-conferencing. The Special CBI Court on January 11 convicted the Dera Sacha Sauda chief and three others.

Chhatrapati was shot at in October 2002 in Sirsa after his newspaper ‘Poora Sach’ published an anonymous letter on women being sexually exploited by the sect head at the dera headquarters.

Authorities cautious this time 

• The Special CBI Court on January 11 convicted the Dera Sacha Sauda chief and three others in journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder case 
• To avoid a Panchkula violence repeat, the government had filed an application through the district attorney for producing Ram Rahim through video-conferencing
• Special CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh ordered the production of Ram Rahim from the Sunaria jail in Rohtak and the other three — Nirmal Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Krishan Lal — lodged in Ambala jail, through video-conferencing in the Special CBI Court in Panchkula

The case 

Chhatrapati was shot at in October 2002 in Sirsa after his newspaper 'Poora Sach' published an anonymous letter on women being sexually exploited by the sect head at the dera headquarters.