Ram Rahim murder trial: Witness wants to break silence after 5 yrs

Panchkula (Haryana) [India], Sept. 16 (ANI): He retracted his statement in 2012, but now, Khatta Singh, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's former driver and a witness in the murder cases filed against him, has moved an application in a special CBI court here to record a fresh one.

"Khatta Singh changed his 2007 statement in 2012 out of fear. With the changed circumstance, he has decided to appear before the court and give his statement," said Singh's lawyer.

"I was scared that they would kill me and my son, we were threatened," Khatta Singh told the reporters here.

The CBI court has fixed the next date of hearing on his application for September 22, where it will take decision whether to record his statement again or not.

The hearing on the murder cases against Ram Rahim is underway at the special CBI court.

The security was tightened in Panchkula town ahead of the hearing of two separate murder cases against the Dera Chief.

Dera followers and functionaries had allegedly murdered Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and former Dera manager Ranjit Singh in 2002 on Chief Ram Rahim's orders.

On August 25, the Dera Chief had been convicted of raping two women followers and was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment by the Special CBI court.

He has been completing his sentence in Sunaria Jail near Rohtak. Since he can't be physically produced before the court, the hearing is taking place via a video call.

In August, Dera followers in Panchkula had assembled ahead of the hearing of rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief.

Violence had broken out in Panchkula and other parts of Haryana and Punjab as well as in Delhi after the verdict against Ram Rahim was announced, wherein 38 people died while 264 were injured. (ANI)