Punjab and Haryana High Court Acquits Gurmeet Ram Rahim in Journalist Chhatrapati Murder Case
On 7th March 2026, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. The ruling sets aside the 2019 judgment of a Special CBI Court in Panchkula that had convicted Ram Rahim and sentenced him to life imprisonment for the murder.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal delivered the verdict while allowing the appeals filed by Ram Rahim and other co-accused challenging the trial court judgment.
Background of the Case
Ram Chander Chhatrapati was the editor of the Sirsa-based newspaper Poora Sach. In 2002, his newspaper published an anonymous letter that alleged sexual exploitation of women followers inside the Dera Sacha Sauda sect headed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
Soon after the publication of the letter, Chhatrapati was shot outside his residence in Sirsa in October 2002. He later succumbed to his injuries. Following the incident, the journalist’s family approached the High Court seeking a CBI probe into the matter.
The investigation was subsequently handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which filed a chargesheet in 2007. In January 2019, the Special CBI Court in Panchkula convicted Ram Rahim and three others — Kuldeep Singh, Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal — under Sections 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. They were sentenced to life imprisonment and fined ₹50,000 each.
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High Court Sets Aside Trial Court Conviction
After hearing the appeals against the conviction, the High Court set aside the trial court judgment and acquitted Ram Rahim in the case.
While pronouncing the verdict, the High Court observed:
“The prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.”
The Court further noted deficiencies in the evidence presented during the trial and concluded that the conviction could not be sustained.
According to the defence, Ram Rahim had been falsely implicated in the case and his name was not mentioned in the initial police investigation.
Following the verdict, Ram Rahim’s counsel confirmed the acquittal and stated:
“The high court division bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu on Saturday acquitted him in the murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.”
Victim’s Family to Challenge Verdict
The family of the slain journalist expressed disappointment with the High Court’s decision and announced that they would challenge the verdict before the Supreme Court.
Reacting to the acquittal, Anshul Chhatrapati, son of the deceased journalist, said:
“We will continue our fight.”
He further indicated that the family remains determined to pursue justice and will move the Supreme Court against the acquittal.
Ram Rahim to Remain in Prison
Despite the acquittal in the Chhatrapati murder case, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will continue to remain in jail. In 2017, he was convicted by a Special CBI Court in two separate rape cases involving female disciples and was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment.
He is currently lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana.
The High Court verdict marks a significant legal development in one of the most widely followed criminal cases linked to the controversial Dera Sacha Sauda chief. With the victim’s family preparing to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court, the case may witness further judicial scrutiny in the coming months.
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