26 July :A special court in Ambala on Saturday fixed 23rd August as the date of pronouncement of order on the framing of charges against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 1999 sexual exploitation case.
Special judge of CBI A K Verma ordered Singh to appear in his court positively on that date.Singh was not present in the court today owing to ill health, skipping a second successive appearance.
According to legal experts, the order on framing of charges against an accused can only be announced in his presence.The Dera chief is the lone accused in the case of alleged sexual exploitation involving a female sect member.
The CBI had earlier filed an application seeking framing of charges against him in the case.The court on Saturday admitted the application.
Charges will be framed against the Dera chief under Section 376, Indian Penal Code.
Singh is also an accused in two other cases related to the murders of Sirsa journalist Ram Chander Chatterpatti and Ranjeet Singh, a former Dera manager.
While five others — Avtar Singh, Inder Sain, Jasbir Singh, Sabdil and Krishan Lal were accused of the Dera ex-manager’s murder in 2002, Singh, alongwith Nirmal Singh and Kuldip Singh, was charged with Chatterpatti’s killing the following year.
The bail application of Inder Sain was also argued in the court today.The court would pronounce its order on this application on 5th August.
The argument on framing of charges in the Ranjeet Singh murder case would begin on 23rd August.The media was not allowed inside the court complex following tight security arrangements by Haryana Police.
Defence counsel Surya Parkash told reporters outside the court that he would study the court’s directives in great detail.Courtsey DD NEWS