The Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others in the murder case of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh. The decision was pronounced by a Bench comprising Justices Sureshwar Thakur and Lalit Batra on Tuesday (May 28).
 

In a session presided over by Justice Shalinder Kaur, the Court issued notices to Shyam Meera Singh and YouTube. The mode of serving the notice will involve email and WhatsApp, as specified by the Court. The case is set for further hearing on Saturday.

The 'godman', known for his substantial following in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, has been granted parole on five separate occasions for various reasons, including visiting his ailing mother.

On June 17, Rahim was granted parole for a month. He has been incarcerated, since 2017, in Haryana's Sunaria jail where he is serving a 20-year-term for raping two women disciples at his ashram's headquarters in Sirsa

Gurmeet Ram Rahim, held at Rohtak's Sunaria jail after being convicted of rape and murder, has been allowed leave from February 7 to February 21.

Rahim had been convicted of conspiring to murder his former manager Ranjit Singh in 2002. The other convicted in the murder case of Ranjit Singh are Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, Avtar Singh and Sabdil.
 

The Dera chief Ram Rahim has been sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment in connection with raping two of his women followers and the murder of a journalist in August 2017.

• He was involved in the murder of a journalist and one of his disciples.
• He allegedly shot dead one of his disciples believing that he had sent an anonymous letter to the CBI levying rape charges against him. 
• He is also known to have incite unrest among religions.

• The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday, September 5, criticised the Punjab Police for not acting on a complaint against Radhe Maa
• the self-styled godwoman has been embroiled in several controversies like driving a family of seven to suicide in Gujarat and sexual harassment
• Phagwara-based Surinder Mittal had lodged a complaint against Radhe Maa in 2015 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments