News Analysis India

Tag: Punjab Haryana High Court

  • Relief For Gurmeet Ram Rahim: High Court Overturns Life Sentence In Ranjit Singh Murder Case |

    Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, aged 56, was cleared of charges in the Ranjit Singh murder case by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday. Ranjit Singh, former manager of Dera, was murdered in 2002, following which a CBI court convicted Ram Rahim and four others with life imprisonment in 2021. Ram Raheem had challenged the CBI court’s order in the high court. 

    The Dera chief is currently jailed following rape charges of assaulting two sadhvis within the Dera and his links to the murder of journalist Ram Chander Prajapati, who had extensively covered the allegations of sexual misconduct against the controversial Ram Raheem. 

    Advocate Mahendra Joshi informed that the CBI court had awarded life imprisonment to Dera Chief and other accused. He added, “An appeal was filed against the verdict, and a hearing was done. The order was kept in reserve for the last month. The high court accepted all five appeals and set aside the verdict of the Panchkula CBI Court. The high court has acquitted,” reported PTI. 

    VIDEO | Punjab and Haryana High Court acquits Dera Sacha Sauda chief #GurmeetRamRahim Singh in the Ranjit Singh murder case.

    “The Panchkula CBI Court had awarded life imprisonment to Dera chief and other accused. An appeal was filed against the verdict and hearing was done. The… pic.twitter.com/Mepabb0Zb8
    — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 28, 2024

    The Dera Sacha Sauda is based in Sirsa, Haryana. The organisation became known after sexual assault claims were made against its chief, leading to a CBI investigation.

  • High Court issues notice to Punjab on liquor policy

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has on Tuesday issued notice to the government of Punjab asking it to explain why its new liquor policy should not be stayed following complaints of illegality.

    The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab had brought in a new excise policy for the year 2022-23 on June 8, 2022. A petition filed in the high court by M/s Akash Enterprises and M/s Vijay Sharma and Harjinder Singh and others said that “as per the excise policy for the year 2022-23, the wine contractors holding L-2 retail vends are prohibited to participate in the allotment procedure of L-1 wholesale vend and the same is completely illegal, arbitrary, and ultra vires being in stark contrast with the provisions of Punjab Excise Act, 1914, and Punjab Liquor License Rules, 1956…”

    The petitioners said that “L-1 (wholesale) liquor license holder is also running the L-2 (retail) vend, and now as per the conditions imposed by the respondents, no L-2 (retail) license holder can get L-1 (wholesale) vend just in order to create the monopoly of the near and dear one of the Delhi High command.”

    The petitioners have alleged in the petition that the policy was made to favour some people who are “…near and dear to the head of the party in Delhi as all the meetings for L-1 is conducted in Delhi (and) the policy is also framed in Delhi.”

    The petitioners have alleged that the new excise policy was drafted in such as way that it favoured a few and would end up creating a monopoly in the liquor business. They said that the maximum number of retail vends that could be allotted to an entity was increased to five from three, which “furthers the intent of monopolizing the liquor industry into the hands of a few resourceful bidders”.

    The high court bench of Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu and Justice Vikas Suri have asked the state government to send its response to the charges in petition by July 8.

    That the Punjab excise policy was made in Delhi is a charge also made by BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa in his complaint to the CBI. In his complaint, Sirsa has accused Delhi chief minister Manish Sisodia of holding a meeting at his Delhi residence on 30.05.22 with Punjab excise and taxation officials to draft a similar policy for Punjab.

    Sirsa said the meeting at Sisodia’s residence was attended by Varun Runjan, excise and taxation commissioner, Punjab, Kap Sinha, financial commissioner, taxation, Punjab, Naresh Dubey, Vijay Nair, AAP Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha and Punjab excise minister Harpal Cheema. Sisodia did not respond to a detailed questionnaire sent to him by this newspaper on June 14. The Delhi government spokesperson, however, rejected Sirsa’s charges as baseless and politically motivated.