Ahead of by-elections on four seats in Punjab on November 14, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has taken a big decision. The Mann government has given permission to prosecute Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in 2015 sacrilege cases, just three days after the Supreme Court revived the trial against him.
The apex court on Friday cleared the way for the trial of the 2015 sacrilege cases involving the Dera Sacha Sauda chief. A bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Vishwanathan vacated the stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the trial and directed Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to submit a response.
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The Supreme Court acted on a plea from the Punjab government and will hear the case again in four weeks. Advocate Gurminder Singh requested a stay on the high court order, which had halted the trial in three cases registered at Bajakhana Police Station in Faridkot, Punjab. Recognising the need for scrutiny, the apex court issued a notice to Ram Rahim.
Advocate Jitendra Khurana, representing Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, said that Dera Sacha Sauda had this incident and appealed to the state government that the real culprits should be punished. He said no follower of Dera Sacha Sauda or Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was involved in a sacrilege incident.
"When the Punjab govt found that the CBI had filed a closure report in the court, the Punjab govt took back this case and gave it to the SIT....Even in Supreme Court, the Punjab govt presented wrong facts. Supreme Court has now issued notice to us and we will file our reply in SC, we have faith that we will get justice...Prosecution permission is only a legal procedure. It has done not just in our case but many cases," added Khurana.