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March 08, 2026 – India –
India’s Punjab and Haryana High Court has acquitted controversial religious leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, overturning a life sentence issued by a special court and sparking renewed debate over accountability in crimes against journalists.
The court delivered its verdict on 7 March 2026, setting aside the 2019 conviction by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court, which had found Ram Rahim and three associates guilty of orchestrating the killing of Chhatrapati.
Chhatrapati was the editor of the Hindi-language newspaper Poora Sach in the town of Sirsa in the northern state of Haryana. He had published an anonymous letter accusing Ram Rahim, the leader of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, of sexually abusing women at his religious compound. Shortly after these reports appeared, the journalist was shot by two assailants on a motorcycle outside his home in October 2002. He succumbed to his injuries several weeks later.
The case drew national attention and took years to move through the courts. In January 2019, a special CBI court convicted Ram Rahim and three others for their roles in the killing and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The ruling was widely viewed as a significant step toward justice in a case linked to intimidation of journalists investigating powerful figures.
However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court later reviewed the appeals filed by Ram Rahim and reassessed the evidence presented in the trial. The judges concluded that the prosecution had failed to establish a clear and direct link between the religious leader and the murder. The court cited weaknesses in the investigation, inconsistencies in witness testimony, and a lack of conclusive evidence, ultimately determining that the conviction could not be sustained.
While acquitting Ram Rahim, the High Court upheld the convictions of three other accused in the case, maintaining their responsibility for the killing.
The decision has sparked strong reactions from observers and the victim’s family, who said they intend to challenge the acquittal before India’s Supreme Court.
Despite the acquittal in this case, Ram Rahim remains imprisoned. The self-styled spiritual leader is currently serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in 2017 for raping two of his followers, along with other ongoing legal controversies tied to his leadership of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect.
Press freedom advocates say the long and complex legal battle surrounding Chhatrapati’s killing highlights the persistent challenges journalists face when investigating powerful individuals and institutions.
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