The Supreme Court today dealt a blow to rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the self-styled godman and Dera Sacha Sauda chief, by lifting the stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the trial against him in connection with the 2015 Bargari sacrilege cases.
The Supreme Court removed the judicial block that had stalled the prosecution of Ram Rahim in three sacrilege cases involving the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhs. The Supreme Court Bench, comprising Justices BR. Gavai and KV Viswanathan, also issued a notice to Ram Rahim, requiring his response within four weeks.
Ram Rahim is already serving a 20-year sentence for rape and also convicted for murder. The sacrilege incidents in question, which took place in the Bargari area of Punjab's Faridkot district, involved the disappearance and alleged desecration of the revered Guru Granth Sahib in 2015, triggering outrage among the Sikh community.
Earlier this year, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had stayed the proceedings against Ram Rahim in the three sacrilege cases, pausing any investigation or trial. This ruling, issued in March, was challenged by the Punjab government, which brought the matter before the Supreme Court.
