Court's verdict in journalist murder case likely on Jan 11, Sirsa put on alert

Haryana police Wednesday carried out a flag march here as the entire district was put on high alert ahead of a CBI court's likely verdict on January 11 in a journalist's murder case, allegedly involving jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

The police carried out the flag march in Sirsa, where the Dera Sacha Sauda's the headquarters is located, a police official told reporters here.

He said entire Sirsa has been put on high alert and anyone trying to disturb law and order would be strictly dealt with.

They said the authorities are taking no chance this time in view of the violent incidents witnessed in Panchkula and Sirsa in August 2017 after Dera chief's conviction in two rape cases.

Accepting a state's plea earlier, the special CBI court in Panchkula allowed Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's production before the court through video conferencing for the January 11 hearing in the murder case of a journalist.

The 51-year-old sect head is currently serving a 20-year prison term in Rohtak's Sunaria jail for raping two of his women followers.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will appear through video conferencing for the hearing in journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati's murder case on Friday, when the court is likely to pronounce its verdict.

He has been named as the main conspirator in the case dating back to 2002.

Chhatrapati was shot at in October 2002 after his newspaper, 'Poora Sach', published an anonymous letter narrating how women were being sexually exploited by Gurmeet Ram Rahim at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa.

The journalist later succumbed to injuries and a case was registered in 2003. The case was handed over to the CBI in 2006.