HC judge recuses from hearing Gurmeet Ram Rahim petition
CHANDIGARH: A Punjab and Haryana High Court judge on Monday recused from hearing Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s petition challenging Panchkula special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court order, whereby his plea for simultaneous hearing in two separate cases of rape and murder against him was dismissed.
The high court bench of justice Anita Chaudhry on Monday ordered that the matter be listed before some other bench after obtaining appropriate orders from the acting chief justice.
It was on July 11 that the special CBI court had dismissed the dera head’s plea in this regard.
DERA SACHA SAUDA HEAD HAD PLEADED FOR SIMULTANEOUS HEARING IN TWO SEPARATE CASES OF RAPE AND MURDER AGAINST HIM
Gurmit Ram Rahim had argued that since background and facts of both the cases were similar, “propriety demands” that both the cases be heard and decided simultaneously in order to “obviate any prejudice” to him.
The lower court, while dismissing the petition, had recorded that both the cases were registered almost around the same time. But Ram Rahim had failed to point out any effort to get both the cases heard and decided simultaneously prior to moving the instant application. It was also recorded that the case pertaining to the alleged rape was at the final stage of hearing and application for simultaneous hearing was nothing but “an attempt to delay” passing of the final judgment.