SC Turns Down Ram Rahim's Plea to Halt Trial in 2015 Sacrilege Cases

The bench declined to interfere with its Oct 2024 order, which had stayed HC ruling that had put criminal proceedings and trial in three cases on hold

- Utkarsh Anand

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday turned down Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's plea to halt his trial and restrain the Punjab Police from continuing its probe into the 2015 sacrilege cases, while making it clear that the matter would be heard in detail at a later stage.

A bench of justices Bhushan R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran declined to interfere with its October 2024 order, which had stayed a Punjab and Haryana high court ruling that had put the criminal proceedings and trial in three cases on hold. The Supreme Court's decision effectively allows the proceedings against Ram Rahim to go on for his alleged role in the sacrilege incidents. Ram Rahim, who is serving a 20-year sentence in connection with two rape cases, is currently out on a 30-day parole.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ram Rahim, argued that the top court's stay on the high court's order had effectively allowed Punjab's appeal.

He questioned the revival of the state police's probe after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had already investigated the matter and filed a closure report.