Ram Rahim gets life imprisonment in Journalist Chhatrapati murder case

Panchkula (Haryana) [India], Jan 17 (ANI): Self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim on Thursday was awarded life imprisonment in the murder case of journalist Ramchander Chhatrapati.

The quantum of punishment was pronounced through video-conferencing.

Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was produced in the court through video conference from Sunaria jail in Rohtak.

Other than Ram Rahim, three others were also found guilty in the murder case.

Three other convicts Kuldeep Singh, Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal, have also been awarded life imprisonment. The Court has also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each.

Ahead of the verdict, elaborate security arrangements were made in Haryana and parts of Punjab. Several companies of the state armed police, anti-riot police, and commando force are deployed to combat any untoward situation.

On January 11, a special CBI court in Panchkula convicted Ram Rahim and three others in the journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati murder case.

Ram Rahim, the Dera Sacha Sauda chief is already in Rohtak's Sunaria jail, serving a 20-year old prison term since 2017 for raping two of his women followers.

In the journalist murder case, the Dera chief has been found guilty of orchestrating the killing of Ramchandra Chhatrapati, a Sirsa-based journalist, after the scribe wrote against Ram Rahim in his newspaper titled 'Poora Sach'.

On 25 August 2017, more than 40 people died and dozens others were injured after violence broke out in Panchkula and other towns of Haryana after his followers clashed with security forces following the conviction of Ram Rahim in the rape case. (ANI)