Security beefed up in Sirsa, Rohtak ahead of murder case judgment

Chandigarh, Jan 8 (IANS) Security has been beefed up in Rohtak and Sirsa towns in Haryana ahead of the judgment of a CBI court against Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

The judgment is likely to be pronounced by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Panchkula, adjoining Chandigarh, on January 11.

The CBI court on Tuesday allowed the appearance of the sect chief from the Sunaria prison near Rohtak through video-conferencing in view of security concerns raised by the Haryana Police and the state government.

Police sources said that security has been increased around the sect's headquarters campus on the outskirts of Sirsa town, around 260 km from here. Sect followers were not being allowed to gather in big numbers ahead of the January 11 judgment.

Chhatrapati was shot at in October 2002 in Sirsa town. He died in November, after battling for life in a hospital for a few days.

Khatta Singh, a former driver of the controversial sect chief, had earlier told the court that Ram Rahim had ordered the killing of Chhatrapati, allegedly by close aides from the sect.

Ram Rahim is lodged in the Sunaria jail near Rohtak following his conviction in two rape cases on August 25, 2017. The CBI court had convicted Ram Rahim on two counts of rape of his female disciples.

Ram Rahim's conviction had led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving 41 people dead and over 260 injured.

He was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by the CBI court.

Besides the Chhtarapati murder case, the sect chief is facing another murder case of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh. The matter is being heard by the CBI court.

Ranjit Singh, who was believed to be privy to the goings on inside the sect headquarters, was shot dead in July 2003.