Punjab Approves Prosecution of Gurmeet Ram Rahim in Sacrilege Case

New Delhi: Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the Dera Sacha Sauda Chief will be prosecuted in the 2015 Sacrilege Case and the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government has given a nod for the trial. 

Punjab Gives Nod to Trial of Gurmeet Ram Rahim

On Tuesday, days after Supreme Court lifted the stay that had been imposed on Ram Rahim's trial by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Punjab government has given its sanction to prosecute Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

Supreme Court Lifted Stay Imposed on Trial by HC

Just a few days ago, a bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Vishwanathan lifted the stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the trial and directed Ram Rahim to file his response.

The top court passed the order on a plea of the Punjab government challenging the order of the high court.

During the hearing, Advocate General of Punjab Gurminder Singh sought a stay on the high court order which had stayed the trial in the three cases registered at Bajakhana Police Station at Faridkot in Punjab.

Noting the matter required scrutiny, the apex court issued a notice to Ram Rahim and sought his response within four weeks.

All About Sacrilege Cases of 2015

Three alleged incidents of sacrilege of holy Guru Granth Sahib occurred between June and October, 2015, in district Faridkot, Punjab , and an FIR dated June 2, 2015 was registered under the provisions of the IPC at the local police station.

A priest at Gurudwara Singh Sahib at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala Village alleged the scripture of Shri Guru Granth Sahib had been desecrated.

The second incident of sacrilege reportedly occurred on September 24 and 25, 2015, wherein posters containing derogatory remarks about the sacred Guru Granth Sahib and other Sikh religious leaders were found pasted outside the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)-managed Gurudwara in Bargari. An FIR was thereafter registered at the Bajakhana police station in Faridkot.

Similarly, a third incident pertained to the recovery of 112 torn pages of holy Guru Granth Sahib around the Gurudwara situated at village Bargari on October 12, 2015 in the district and an FIR was registered at the Bajakhana police station.

(Inputs from PTI)