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Journalist Murder Conviction Overturned as Son Continues Justice Fight
Ram Chander Chhatrapati was a journalist in Haryana.
He wrote about allegations that a religious leader, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, had raped female followers.
In October 2002, two men shot Chhatrapati outside his home.
He died from his injuries about a month later.
His family believed the killing was connected to his reporting.
A special court later convicted Ram Rahim and three other people.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court overturned Ram Rahim’s conviction because it did not trust an important witness.
Chhatrapati’s son Anshul is still challenging that decision in the Supreme Court.
Ram Chander Chhatrapati was shot in Sirsa in October 2002 after reporting on rape allegations against Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
The journalist died a month later, and investigators linked two shooters to Dera Sacha Sauda.
A CBI court convicted Ram Rahim and three others in 2019 and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court overturned Ram Rahim’s conviction in March, criticizing the reliability of witness Khatta Singh.
Chhatrapati’s son Anshul has appealed to the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear the petition in November.
- Who
- Journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, three other accused men, and Chhatrapati’s son Anshul are central to the case.
- What
- Chhatrapati was murdered after reporting on rape allegations against Ram Rahim; a later conviction of Ram Rahim was overturned by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
- Where
- The shooting took place outside Chhatrapati’s home in Sirsa, Haryana; related proceedings have taken place in Haryana courts and the Supreme Court.
- When
- Chhatrapati was shot in October 2002 and died a month later; the CBI court convicted the accused in 2019, and the High Court overturned Ram Rahim’s conviction in March.
- Why
- Chhatrapati’s family and prosecutors said the murder was linked to his reporting, while the High Court found the key witness’s testimony unreliable.
Family and prosecution
High Court ruling and defense position
Reliability of the key witness
Family and prosecution
The CBI and Chhatrapati’s family relied on driver Khatta Singh’s testimony that he heard Ram Rahim order followers to eliminate the journalist. They said he had initially changed his testimony because of pressure and threats.
High Court ruling and defense position
The Punjab and Haryana High Court said no reliance could be placed on Khatta Singh because he stayed silent for years, changed positions, and later returned as a witness.
Ram Rahim’s involvement
Family and prosecution
Chhatrapati’s family argued that the Dera chief was the central conspirator and that the journalist’s reporting prompted the murder. A CBI court accepted this case when it convicted Ram Rahim in 2019.
High Court ruling and defense position
The High Court overturned Ram Rahim’s conviction, finding the evidence—particularly Khatta Singh’s testimony—insufficient to sustain it.
Continuing legal fight
Family and prosecution
Anshul Chhatrapati says the family will continue pursuing justice and has appealed the acquittal to the Supreme Court.
High Court ruling and defense position
The High Court’s decision leaves Ram Rahim acquitted in the journalist’s murder case, although he remains imprisoned under a separate 20-year sentence for rape.
Key facts
- Victim
- Ram Chander Chhatrapati, a journalist and former lawyer
- Shooting
- He was shot five times outside his Sirsa home in October 2002
- Death
- He died from his injuries about one month later, aged 52
- Investigation
- The Central Bureau of Investigation took over the murder probe after a 2003 High Court order
- 2019 verdict
- A CBI special court convicted Ram Rahim and three others and imposed life sentences
- High Court ruling
- The Punjab and Haryana High Court overturned Ram Rahim’s murder conviction in March
- Next legal step
- Anshul Chhatrapati has appealed to the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear the petition in November
Quotes
Anshul Chhatrapati
Son of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and petitioner in the murder case
“eliminate Chhatrapati so that he may not write against Dera Sacha Sauda in future.”
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“The struggle for justice became the purpose of my life.”
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Sources
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