Supreme Court to hear appeal in Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh murder case

The Supreme Court of India has agreed to hear an appeal challenging the acquittal of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. The appeal was filed by the slain journalist’s son, Anshul Chhatrapati, following a decision by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to overturn a 2019 conviction.

In 2019, a special CBI court had sentenced Ram Rahim to life imprisonment for his role in a conspiracy to murder Chhatrapati. Chhatrapati was shot in Haryana’s Sirsa after his newspaper, ‘Poora Sach’, published allegations regarding the sexual exploitation of women at the Dera headquarters. However, the High Court acquitted Ram Rahim in March 2026.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana noted that the matter requires consideration, particularly as the State has not filed its own appeal against the High Court’s reversal. The Supreme Court has scheduled the final hearing for the week commencing November 16, 2026.

Ram Rahim is currently serving a 20-year sentence in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail for the 2017 conviction related to the rape of two disciples.