Journalist murder case: Verdict against Gurmeet Ram Rahim today; Sirsa on high alert

Sirsa, Jan 11: A special CBI court in Panchkula on Friday will pronounce its verdict in a case of murder of a journalist allegedly involving Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Ahead of the verdict, security in Sirsa, Panchkula and neighbouring regions have been ramped up and a high alert has been sounded by the security agencies.

Haryana police on Wednesday carried out a flag march in Sirsa as the entire district was put on high alert ahead of a CBI court's likely verdict on January 11 in a journalist's murder case, allegedly involving jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

The 51-year-old self-styled godman, currently serving a 20-year prison term in Rohtak's Sunaria jail for raping two of his women followers, will appear via video conferencing for the hearing in journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati's murder case.

He has been named as the main conspirator in the case dating back to 2002.

The court also directed all other accused persons - Nirmal Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Krishan Lal - who are currently out on bail, to be present in the court.

Chhatrapati was shot at in October 2002 after his newspaper, ''Poora Sach'', published an anonymous letter narrating how women were being sexually exploited by Gurmeet Ram Rahim at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa.

The journalist later succumbed to injuries and a case was registered in 2003. The case was handed over to the CBI in 2006.