Dera chief’s conviction gives hope to murder victim''s family
Vishal Joshi
Tribune News Service
Khanpur Kolian (Kurukshetra), August 26
The family members of Ranjit Singh, who was shot dead allegedly by the followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief 15 years ago, see a ray of hope after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction in a rape case.
They say the court’s decision has restored their faith in the system.
They laud the CBI officials for building a watertight case against the politically influential Dera chief.
The family said the conviction of the Dera head had given them a bit of happiness after 15 years of grief in Ranjit’s murder.
Punjab and Haryana High Court had asked the CBI to probe the murder case against the self-styled godman.
The murder case against the convicted Dera head is listed for next hearing in the CBI court at Panchkula on September 16.
Ranjit’s brother-in-law Prabhu Dayal told The Tribune here today that the entire family was an ardent devotee of the Dera for more than 40 years, much before the convicted Gurmeet Singh took over as the sectarian leader.
Ranjit, who owned nearly 70 acres of farm land at his native village, was once a close aide of Gurmeet Singh.
He was made the head of 10-member management committee of the Dera, Dayal said.
It was alleged that the Dera chief had suspected Ranjit of circulating an anonymous letter detailing the sexual exploitation in 2002.
Ranjit, 42, was found murdered in his fields on July 10, 2002, with four fatal gunshot wounds in the face.
The Dera chief was named in the crime.
Though the family is protected by a team of seven personnel of Haryana Police, there was an uneasy calm in the family on Saturday.
Close family members and a group of fellow villagers were present with the family at their home located near the NH-1 at Khanpur Kolian village, about 15-kms from Kurukshetra.
However, Ranjit’s family declined to be photographed.
Women members were not allowed to interact with journalists for the fear of being identified in the public.
“Since 2000 we have been fighting a legal battle against the Dera head and we know how powerful his clout is. We hope Gurmeet Singh would get severe punishment in the murder cases of Ranjit and journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati as well,” said Dayal.
The aggrieved family said they did not get any support from the then INLD and Congress government in Haryana.
Top political leaders in the respective previous governments lacked the political will to our requests for a justice through a CBI probe in the murder case.
“Ranjit’s father Joginder Singh braved all threats and allurements by the Dera followers to compromise on the murder case. ‘Bau ji’ (Joginder) fought for justice of his son’s murder till his last breath in 2016. Justice in the murder case will be a true tribute to bau ji,” he said.
