Sedition charges dropped against remaining 4 accused

PANCHKULA: A special CBI court here on Saturday dropped the charges of sedition and Arms Act against the remaining four accused in the case pertaining to setting afire the house of former finance minister Capt Abhimanyu during the Jat reservation stir in 2016.

Special CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh had on February 6 dropped the similar charges against 49 accused in this case. The court had dropped the charges under Section 124-A (sedition) and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act against them.

However, the court had framed charges against them for attempt to murder (Section 307), rioting (Sections 148, 149), criminal conspiracy (Section 120-B), dacoity (Section 395) and damaging property (Sections 427 ,436, 450 of the IPC) besides a few others. The same charges were also framed against the remaining four accused on Saturday, their counsel Satish Kadian said and added the court has fixed the next date for production of evidences on March 7.

DERA HEAD APPEARS THROUGH VIDEOCONFERENCING

Meanwhile, Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who is serving 20-year imprisonment in a rape case in Sunaria jail, appeared before the CBI court in the Ranjit Singh murder case through videoconferencing.

Another accused Krishan Lal, who is lodged in Ambala jail, also appeared through the same medium, while third accused, Sabdil, appeared in person.

The court has fixed the next hearing in the case on February 24.