Court to sentence Ram Rahim, three others through video conference

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Dera Sachs Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. File Photo

Panchkula, January 16: A special court has agreed to pronounce its jail sentence on Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and some others in the murder of journalist Ramchander Chhatrapati through videoconference.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation court accepted Haryana government’s plea to have the Dera chief and others accused in the case—Nirmal Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Krishan Lal—sentenced through video conference after CBI said it had no objection.

Special judge Jugdeep Singh ordered authorities to produce Ram Rahim—who’s in Sunaria Jail in Rohtak—and the others—who are in Ambala Jail—before the court through video conference on Thursday, when the court will announce their sentence.

The court found Ram Rahim and the others guilty of murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code on January 11. Additionally, Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal were both found guilty under the Arms Act, 1959.

Chhatrapati was shot dead in Sirsa in October 2002 after his newspaper ‘Poora Sach’ published an anonymous letter on how Ram Rahim sexually exploited women at the Dera headquarters.