New Delhi, August 10: The Supreme Court on Monday admitted an appeal challenging the acquittal of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana agreed to hear the appeal filed by the slain journalist’s son against the Punjab and Haryana High Court verdict that overturned Ram Rahim’s conviction by a special CBI court.

The apex court has listed the matter for final hearing in the week beginning November 16.

During the hearing, the bench was informed that the state government had not challenged the High Court’s acquittal. The court observed that it was “also conscious of the fact that the State might not come in appeal.”

On March 7, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Ram Rahim in the murder case while upholding the convictions of three other accused. The court had allowed his appeal against the trial court’s verdict, observing that the prosecution had failed to establish his guilt beyond reasonable doubt and pointing to gaps and alleged coercion in the testimony of CBI witnesses.

Chhatrapati, who ran the local newspaperPoora Sach, was shot outside his home in Sirsa in October 2002. He had published an anonymous letter alleging the sexual exploitation of female followers at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa. Ram Rahim was accused of orchestrating the killing because of the journalist’s criticism of the sect chief.

In 2019, a Special CBI Court convicted Ram Rahim and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Three other accused — Kuldeep Singh, Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal — were also convicted and awarded life terms.

The latest acquittal is the second time the Punjab and Haryana High Court has cleared Ram Rahim in a high-profile murder case linked to the Dera. In May 2024, the court acquitted him and four others in the murder of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh, citing shortcomings in the investigation.

Ranjit Singh, a resident of Khanpur Kolian village in Haryana’s Kurukshetra district, was allegedly murdered on July 10, 2002, while working in his fields.

Ram Rahim has been serving a 20-year sentence since 2017 after being convicted of raping two of his female disciples. He is currently lodged in Sunaria Jail in Rohtak.

His conviction in the rape case in August 2017 triggered widespread violence in Panchkula and other parts of Haryana, as his followers clashed with security forces. More than 40 people were killed and dozens injured in the violence.

Ram Rahim was released from jail in January this year after being granted 40 days of parole. His repeated temporary releases have previously attracted political criticism and raised security concerns.