Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh gets lifer in the murder case of Journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati (Express photo by Jaipal Singh) Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh gets lifer in the murder case of Journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati (Express photo by Jaipal Singh)

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and three others have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing of journalist Ram Chander Chhatarpati. The special CBI court in Panchkula pronounced the quantum of sentence on Thursday. A fine of Rs 50,000 each has also been imposed by the Court.

The court had found them guilty of murder and conspiracy on January 11 and convicted them under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case dates back to 2002 when the journalist was murdered in Sirsa city in Haryana after he ran a story in his newspaper, ‘Poora Sach’, about the alleged sexual exploitation of women by the Dera chief.

The CBI has allowed Ram Rahim, who is currently serving a 20-year term in connection with another case, to appear for the hearing via video-conferencing. The state had sought permission for the same as a precautionary measure, citing the violence that broke out after his conviction in 2017. The other three convicts, Krishan Lal, Kuldeep Singh and Nirmal Singh, will appear before court.