Punjab government approves prosecution of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in sacrilege cases
- In Reports
- 03:51 PM, Oct 22, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Punjab government has given the green light to prosecute Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the jailed chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, in connection with the 2015 sacrilege incidents. This decision, confirmed by official sources on Tuesday, October 22, comes after the Supreme Court lifted a stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the trial related to three sacrilege cases.
On October 18, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Punjab government's plea, challenging the High Court's earlier decision to halt the trial in Faridkot. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also oversees the Home portfolio, approved the prosecution sanction on the evening of October 21.
Singh is currently serving a 20-year sentence for raping two disciples, a conviction handed down in 2017. He was also convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist over 16 years ago. Singh is incarcerated at Sunaria Jail in Haryana's Rohtak district but was granted a 20-day parole on October 2.The sacrilege incidents in question involve the theft of a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib from the Burj Jawahar Singh Wala gurdwara, the display of sacrilegious posters in Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and the scattering of torn pages of the holy book in Bargari. These incidents led to widespread protests in Faridkot. In October 2015, police fired on protesters, resulting in the deaths of two individuals in Behbal Kalan and injuries to several others in Kotkapura.
In 2022, the Punjab Police's special investigation team (SIT), led by Additional Director General of Police SPS Parmar, identified Singh as one of the main conspirators behind the sacrilege incidents. The state government’s approval is necessary to prosecute anyone under Section 295 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which addresses offences related to hurting religious sentiment
Earlier this year, in March, the High Court had temporarily halted the trial against Singh after he contested the validity of a September 6, 2018 notification from the state government. This notification withdrew consent for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe these cases. Initially, in 2015, the SAD-BJP government handed the investigation over to the CBI, but the Congress-led Punjab government transferred it to a special investigation team of the Punjab Police in September 2018 due to slow progress.
During the recent monsoon session of the Punjab Assembly, Chief Minister Mann reiterated his government’s commitment to ensuring strict punishment for those involved in desecrating the Guru Granth Sahib. Meanwhile, the Congress party has criticised the state government for its delay in granting prosecution approval against Singh in these sacrilege cases.
Comments