Scribe’s murder involving Dera chief: Third accused gets bail

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court has granted bail to one of the accused, Kuldeep Singh, in the murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

Two other accused — Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh and one Nirmal Singh — are already out on bail in the 2002 case . Kuldeep Singh has been behind bars for the past 14 years.

During the hearing on Tuesday, the high court bench of justice AB Chaudhari questioned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on delay in trial, to which CBI counsel Sumeet Goel blamed defence lawyers for taking unnecessary adjournments. For the past one year, the trial stands stayed, he informed the court.

According to the prosecution, Gurmeet Ram Rahim had allegedly ordered the killing of Chhatrapati for publishing news about ‘illegal activities’ on the Sirsabased dera premises.

The vernacular journalist was killed on October 23, 2002, allegedly by Kuldeep Singh and Nirmal Singh, who used to work as carpenters inside the dera. He died on November 21.