chandigarh

Updated: Jul 04, 2015 19:02 IST

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court, Haryana, has ordered Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to return to India within 4 days, cutting short his foreign trip.

He had moved an application for extension of his stay abroad for promoting his forthcoming film MSG-2 which was dismissed by the court. Ram Rahim is facing trial in two murder cases and a rape case in CBI special court.

The court has ordered Ram Rahim to return to India before the midnight of July 7. The dera chief has to report back to the court about his return too.

Earlier, the court had allowed Ram Rahim to go abroad from June 7 to July 3 to promote his second film MSG-2 on furnishing a bank guarantee of Rs 10 lakh each for rape and two murder cases. But he filed another application for extension of stay from July 4 to July 24. He complained that as he did not get visa on time earlier and as his film promotion was going on, he should be allowed to extend his stay.

CBI counsel HPS Verma had opposed the application stating that the accused was using delaying tactics. “The court has nothing to do with the procedure in grant of visa by the respective countries. The court is not to act as per the wishes and suitability of the accused while proceeding with the case. The accused should have arranged visa prior to seeking permission from the court, which he did not," said Verma.

After the arguments, the court said that Ram Rahim could not be allowed to stay abroad as there is no stay on proceedings.

“Dera chief will be in India by July 7 and will appear before the court as per the directions,” said Vishal Garg Narwana, counsel for Ram Rahim.

In the rape case against Ram Rahim, there are two victims. The case is nearing completion of trial.

In 2002, anonymous letters stating that sadhvis at the Dera Sacha Sauda were facing sexual exploitation were circulated following which the CBI registered a case on the orders of the high court.

In the Ranjit Singh murder case, defence evidence is going on. Ranjit Singh was allegedly murdered on July 10, 2002, by dera followers in Kurukshetra. The CBI alleges that Ranjit was killed as Ram Rahim suspected him to be behind an anonymous letter of a sadhvi (female follower) levelling allegations of sexual exploitation against him.

In the Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder case also, the defence evidence is going on. Chhatrapati was shot on October 24, 2002, for writing against illegal activities inside Dera, as per CBI case. The CBI alleges that he was killed on Ram Rahim’s orders.