Ram Rahim Acquitted in Journalist Murder Case; High Court Cites CBI Pressure on Witness

• Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Dera chief Ram Rahim in the 2002 journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder case, overturning a CBI court's life imprisonment verdict.
• The High Court observed that the CBI pressured witness Khatta Singh to implicate Ram Rahim, stating the agency adopted questionable methodology.
• Three other convicts – Kuldeep, Nirmal, and Kishan Lal – had their life sentences upheld, as the court found they committed the murder of their own volition.
• Journalist Chhatrapati was murdered after publishing a letter detailing alleged sexual exploitation of female followers by the Dera chief.
• The court also commented on media coverage, emphasizing that cases should be decided by law, not media influence, and benefit of doubt goes to the accused.