Journalist murder case: HC allows dera chief's plea

Jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Friday moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh challenging his conviction by the CBI court for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chattarpati.

The high court while allowing his petition stayed the penalty amount imposed on him by the CBI court. The 52-year old sect chief is already serving a 20-year jail term for rape of two of his disciples within the sect premises in Sirsa in Haryana.

The CBI court in Panchkula had sentenced him to life imprisonment in January this year for the murder of the journalist that took place in 2002. The life term in jail for the sect chief will begin only after completion of his 20-years of jail term in the rape case.