Hearing in two murder cases against Dera chief to continue on Monday

The hearing of the two separate murder cases against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and others will be continued next week, court sources said, reports IANS.

Hearing in the matter, which began in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court in Panchkula on Saturday amid tight security saw the sect chief taking part through video conferencing from the Rohtak District Jail, where he is lodged following his conviction in two rape cases on August 25.

Seven other accused in the murder cases were present in the court.

The sect chief ’s counsel S.K. Garg told media that the hearing of the Ranjit Singh murder case will be held on Monday (September 18) and journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder case will be held on September 22.

Garg said that the final arguments will take some time to complete.

Meanwhile, the sect chief ’s former driver, Khatta Singh, moved an application before the CBI court saying that he wanted to record a fresh statement in the murder case. His application will be taken up next week.

Khatta Singh had earlier given a statement in favour of the sect chief in the murder cases but now claimed that he did it under threat and pressure from the sect chief.

Tight security arrangements, including para-military forces and Haryana Police personnel, were deployed in Panchkula town, especially around the court complex in Sector 1. Security arrangements were tightened around the prison complex near Rohtak and in Sirsa district, where the headquarters of the sect are located.

The cases, related to the murder of Sirsa-based journalist Chhatrapati and former Dera manager Ranjit Singh, allegedly by functionaries and followers of the sect, were listed for final arguments on Saturday in the court of special CBI judge Jagdeep Singh.