Panchkula
Even as rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s former driver Khatta Singh today moved the special CBI court here seeking permission to depose afresh in the murder cases against him, the dera chief’s lawyers impressed upon CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh to recuse himself from the two cases. He, however, turned down the plea.

SK Garg Narwana, counsel for Ram Rahim, and Bankim K Kulshreshtha, counsel for the other accused, verbally requested that the murder cases be transferred as evidence in these cases was largely the same as in the two rape cases on which he (Judge) had already given his mind. Turning down the request, Jagdeep Singh retorted, “I am not scared of anyone.”

The court issued a notice to the CBI and the defence on Khatta Singh’s application for September 22.

CBI counsel HPS Verma said the court ordered a day-to-day hearing of former dera manager Ranjit Singh’s murder case in which five dera members are accused of having hatched a conspiracy to eliminate him at the dera chief’s behest.

Verma said the Judge decided to hear the murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati separately.

In this case too, Ram Rahim is one of the accused. While Ranjit Singh’s murder case will be heard on a daily basis beginning September 18, Chhatrapati’s case will be next heard on September 22.