Punjab and Haryana High Court overturns 2019 life sentence in Ramchandra Chhatrapati killing
March 7, 2026: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday acquitted Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, in the murder case of journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati, overturning a life sentence issued by a trial court in 2019. Ram Rahim had been accused of conspiring in the killing of Chhatrapati, a Sirsa-based journalist who had published reports critical of the Dera chief. A Special CBI court had earlier found him guilty and sentenced him, along with Kuldeep Singh, Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal, to life imprisonment and a fine of ₹50,000 each.
The High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal set aside the convictions and acquitted Ram Rahim and the other accused in the case. Despite this ruling, Ram Rahim continues to serve a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2017 for raping two of his disciples. He is currently lodged in Sunaria Jail in Rohtak.
His rape conviction in 2017 had triggered widespread violence in Haryana, particularly in Panchkula, where clashes between his supporters and security forces left more than 40 people dead. Last year, the High Court had also acquitted Ram Rahim and four others in the 2002 murder case of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh, who was shot dead in Kurukshetra. The controversial godman was released on a 40-day parole earlier this year, a move that drew criticism from political parties and raised security concerns.