What the CBI case against Ram Rahim all about
Journalist Chhatrapati murder case
The acquittal of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim has its antecedents in the shooting of a journalist, Ram Chander Chhatrapati, editor of the daily newspaper ‘Poora Sach’, outside his house in Sirsa on October 24, 2002. He succumbed to his injuries on November 21 at a hospital in Delhi.
Following a furore, the CBI opened the case, and found that one Kuldeep Singh and Nirmal Singh murdered Chhatrapati. Nirmal fled on a scooter, but the police nabbed Kuldeep on the spot. Nirmal was arrested on October 26, 2002, at a police naka in Sirsa. During interrogation, they said they worked as carpenters at the Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa, led by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. They claimed that dera manager Krishan Lal provided them a revolver.
The police filed a chargesheet against all three — Krishan Lal, Nirmal Singh and Kuldeep Singh — on December 5, 2012. However, the dera chief was let off.
Not satisfied with the investigation, Anshul Chattrapati, son of Ram Chander Chhatrapati, approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which handed over the case to the CBI on November 10, 2003.
According to the CBI, Chhatrapati was killed as the dera chief was upset over news items published in ‘Poora Sach’. On May 30, 2002, a news item was published on an anonymous complaint of a 'sadhvi' regarding sexual exploitation of 'sadhvis' at the dera. The headline was, “Dharam ke Naam Per Kiye Ja Rahein Hain Sadhviyon Ke Jeeven Barbad". The complaint was addressed to the then PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. From then on, Chhatrapati started receiving threats.
On June 4 and June 28, 2002, he again published stories related to the anonymous complaint. On September 25, he published a front-page news item on the High Court giving orders for a CBI investigation against the dera in the sexual exploitation case.
On September 29, a story that the dera had been asking for banning ‘Poora Sach’ appeared.
After Chhatrapati was shot, ‘Poora Sach’ blamed the dera for the attack, on October 25.
Ram Rahim's former driver, Khatta Singh, had told the trial court that the dera chief had ordered Chhatrapati’s killing in his presence. He said on October 23, 2002, ‘Poora Sach’ had published a news item regarding a development in the case. Khatta Singh’s testimony was instrumental in convicting Ram Rahim for criminal conspiracy before the trial court.
