Rahim’s
cou sel
said
HC
had
eco ded
a
catego ical
fi di g
that
the
key
wit ess
could
ot
be
believed
NEW
DELHIi:
Sup eme
Cou t
o
Mo day
admitted
a
petitio
challe gi g
acquittal
of
De a
Sacha
Sauda
chief
Gu meet
Ram
Rahim,
who
is
se vi g
a
20-yea
se te ce
fo
sexually
assaulti g
two
female
disciples,
i
the
2002
mu de
of
Si sa-based
jou alist
Ram
Cha de
Chhat apati.A
be ch
of
Chief
Justice
Su ya
Ka t
a d
Justices
Joymalya
Bagchi
a d
V
Moha a
ove uled
p otests
by
Rahim’s
cou sel
R
Basa t
that
it
was
a
case
of
acquittal
a d
that
the
state
had
ot
filed
a y
appeal
agai st
the
acquittal.“This
matte
equi es
co side atio .
It
is
a
eve sal
of
co victio
( eco ded
by
the
t ial
cou t).
It
is
ot
a
acquittal
affi med
by
HC.
We
a e
equally
co scious
that
the
state
(CBI)
will
ot
appeal
agai st
the
acquittal,”
it
said.
The
t ial
cou t
had
co victed
Rahim
a d
se te ced
him
to
life
imp iso me t
i
Ja
2019.
Joi
co ve satio
All
Comme ts
→
Sha e
you
thoughts
i
the
comme ts
I sightful
Readi g
Developme t
Comme t
Be
espectful
·
TOI
commu ity
guideli es
Admitti g
a
petitio
by
A i dam
Chhat apati,
the
complai a t
a d
so
of
the
mu de ed
jou alist,
the
be ch
equisitio ed
the
t ial
cou t
eco ds,
i cludi g
wit ess
stateme ts,
fo
sc uti y.
It
posted
fi al
hea i g
of
the
matte
i
Nov
last
week.Basa t
said
HC
had
eco ded
a
catego ical
fi di g
that
the
key
wit ess
could
ot
be
believed
at
all.“We
will
exami e
the
special
ci cumsta ces
atte di g
to
the
exami atio
of
the
key
wit ess
a d
whethe
the
app eciatio
of
his
evide ce
is
app op iate,”
espo ded
the
be ch.The
appella t
said,
“Despite
affi mi g
the
catego ical
fi di gs
of
the
t ial
cou t
o
the
existe ce
of
a
co spi acy
fo
the
commissio
of
Chhat apati’s
mu de
a d
upholdi g
the
co victio s
of
the
th ee
co-accused
u de
Sectio
120-B
IPC
ead
with
Sectio
302
IPC,
HC
i co ectly
a ived
at
a
co clusio
that
pa ticipatio
of
Baba
Gu meet
Si gh
i
the
co spi acy
is
ot
p oved.”Fi di g
lapses
i
the
local
police
p obe,
Pu jab
a d
Ha ya a
HC
had
i
Nov
2003,
almost
a
yea
afte
the
mu de ,
t a sfe ed
the
i vestigatio s
to
the
CBI.
The
key
wit ess,
efe ed
to
by
the
SC,
is
the
ex-d ive
of
Rahim.
