January 3, 2025: The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others in connection with the 2002 murder of Ranjit Singh, a former manager of the religious organization. The notice follows a plea from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision to acquit Ram Rahim and his co-accused.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar observed that the case is already under consideration by a bench led by Justice Bela M Trivedi. The matter will now be listed before her bench for further proceedings.

Ranjit Singh was shot dead on July 10, 2002, in the Khanpur Colony of Haryana's Kurukshetra. The murder is believed to have been linked to his suspected involvement in circulating an anonymous letter that exposed allegations of sexual exploitation of women followers by Gurmeet Ram Rahim at the Dera’s headquarters in Sirsa. The letter, which detailed the abuse, had sparked public outrage.

In 2021, a special CBI court convicted Ram Rahim and four others—Avtar Singh, Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, and Sabdil Singh—for their roles in the murder. All five were sentenced to life imprisonment, with hefty fines: Rs 31 lakh on Ram Rahim, Rs 1.50 lakh on Sabdil Singh, Rs 1.25 lakh each on Jasbir Singh and Krishan Lal, and Rs 75,000 on Avtar Singh. The court concluded that the Dera chief orchestrated the murder due to his suspicion that Ranjit Singh had a role in spreading the letter detailing the allegations of sexual exploitation.

However, in May 2024, the Punjab and Haryana High Court overturned the conviction, acquitting all five accused in the case, a decision that prompted the CBI to file the appeal before the Supreme Court.

Ram Rahim has faced numerous legal battles. In 2017, he was convicted of raping two of his women followers, leading to widespread violence in Haryana, Punjab, and parts of Delhi. The violence resulted in at least 30 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The Army had to be deployed to restore order. Additionally, Ram Rahim was convicted for the 2002 murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati, who had reported on the sexual abuse allegations, earning him a 20-year sentence.

The legal proceedings in the Ranjit Singh murder case continue to unfold, with the Supreme Court’s involvement indicating the ongoing legal scrutiny of the matter.