North News

New Delhi, October 18

The Supreme Court on Friday lifted the stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on proceedings against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in three sacrilege cases from 2015. The top court issued the order following an appeal from the Punjab government that challenged the High Court’s decision. The cases relate to three incidents in Bargari, Faridkot district, where the scripture and swaroop of the Guru Granth Sahib were allegedly desecrated and reported missing.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim is currently serving a 20-year prison for raping two of his followers. Additionally, a Special CBI court in Panchkula sentenced him and three others to life imprisonment in 2019 for the murder of journalist Ramchandra Chhatarpati, who was shot in October 2002 after his newspaper, “Poora Sach,” published an anonymous letter detailing allegations of sexual exploitation at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa.