HC stops CBI judge from pronouncing verdict in Ram Rahim case

Chandigarh, Aug 24 (IANS) The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday restrained the special CBI judge in Haryana's Panchkula from pronouncing the verdict in the Ranjit Singh murder case in which controversial and jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim is an accused.

The order came on a petition of victim's son Jagsir Singh.

The trial court had fixed August 26 for the pronouncement of the judgment.

The matter in high court will now be heard on August 27 by Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan.

Ranjit Singh, a former follower of Ram Rahim, was shot dead by four assailants on July 10, 2002, in Kurukshetra after he allegedly "raised his voice" against the self-styled godman, who is currently lodged at the high-security Sunaria jail in Rohtak, 250 kms from state capital Chandigarh.

The self-styled godman was sentenced to 20 years in jail in August 2017 for raping two women.

A special CBI court in Panchkula in January 2019 also sentenced him and three others to life imprisonment for the murder of a journalist over 16 years ago.