Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim convicted in disciple's murder case

New Delhi, Oct 8 : A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Haryana's Panchkula on Friday held Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty in the murder case of Dera follower Ranjit Singh, officials said.

Ram Rahim Singh is currently serving a 20 years' rigorous imprisonment for the rape of two women followers at Rohtak's Sunaria jail. He was also convicted for life for the murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chattrapati.

Apart from Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the CBI court on Friday also convicted four others -- Krishan Lal, Sabdil Singh, Jasbir Singh and Avtar Singh -- in the same case. The quantum of the sentence will be pronounced on October 12, the CBI said in a statement.

Ranjit Singh, a resident of Khanpur Kolian village in Kurukshetra, was murdered on July 10, 2002 when he was working in the fields of his village.

The CBI had registered the said case on the orders passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2003 and then it took over the investigation of the case which was earlier registered at Police Station Sadar, Thanesar in Kurukshetra.

After investigating the case for four years, the CBI filed a chargesheet in July, 2007 against six accused and charges were framed in December, 2008. During the pendency of trial, one accused died last year and trial proceedings were abated against him.