Supreme Court Advances Sacrilege Case Against Dera Chief

The Supreme Court cleared the path for the trial of the 2015 sacrilege cases involving Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The Punjab government petitioned the court, which lifted the previous stay by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court issued a notice to Ram Rahim, setting a four-week timeline for proceedings.

The Supreme Court has taken a significant step forward in the 2015 sacrilege cases against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The court granted the Punjab government's plea to vacate a stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, allowing the trial to proceed.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Vishwanathan ordered Ram Rahim to respond to the notice, with the matter scheduled for a hearing after four weeks. The case, which has drawn substantial attention, was initially moved from Faridkot to Chandigarh by the Supreme Court in February 2023.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim, currently serving a 20-year sentence for rape, had previously challenged the withdrawal of cases from the CBI. The Haryana government has recently granted him a 20-day parole under specific conditions.

(With inputs from agencies.)