Dera chief to appear in court via video conferencing on January 11

CHANDIGARH: The special CBI court in Panchkula has accepted Haryana Police's application, wherein cops had sought permission to allow presence of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh through video conferencing for the verdict in a murder case on January 11.

Now Dera chief will appear through video conferencing on January 11, when special CBI judge Justice Jagdeep Singh will pronounce verdict in journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder case.

Haryana Police in its application had cited the lawlessness that was witnessed in Panchkula after the rape conviction of the sect's head on August 25, 2017. The police had submitted that during August 2017 violence, 43 people were killed.

The Haryana police application reads, "In order to maintain the law and order situation, it is requested that court proceedings on January 11 qua accused Gurmeet Ram Rahim may kindly be conducted through video conferencing."

Reserving the verdict in the murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati, in which Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is the prime accused, the CBI judge in Panchkula Jagdeep Singh on Wednesday had directed Sunaria (Rohtak) jail superintendent to ensure the dear chief's presence in Panchkula court on January 11.

According to the CBI chargesheet, Dera manager Krishan Lal had given his licenced revolver and a walkie-talkie to two shooters in the presence of the dera chief. Thereafter, both accused fired at Chhatarpati in front of his house on October 24, 2002. He died three weeks later. Chhatarpati had been writing against the dera chief in his newspaper ‘Poora Sach’.