Dera Sacha Sauda head granted bail

In a reprieve to the embattled head of the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda sect, a Central Bureau of Investigation court on Thursday granted regular bail to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in connection with two cases of murder and one of sexual harassment.

Special CBI Judge R K Saini, who on Monday reserved his order after the defence concluded arguments, allowed the regular bail plea as his 'prima facie involvement' in the three cases had not been established, Singh's lawyer Jasmir Singh told media persons in Ambala.

Dera chief spokesman Aditya Insaan claimed the charges against Singh were 'baseless' and that 'truth will prevail.'

Singh, who enjoys Z-plus security cover, had appeared in the court on October 4 in connection with the charges against him for the murder of a Dera manager Ranjit Singh and a Sirsa journalist Ram Chander Chatterpati as also a case of alleged sexual harassment of a woman disciple.

The CBI had filed three chargesheets against the Dera head on July 31 and on October 20 opposed the interim bail granted to him.

The regular bail application was moved by Singh on October 4 and the court had extended the interim bail granted to him till October 15.