The Supreme Court, on October 18, 2024, lifted a stay order imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the sacrilege cases against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh related to incidents from 2015.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justice B. R. Gavai and Justice K. V. Viswanathan took note of the plea filed by the Punjab Government challenging the stay on the proceedings.

The case revolves around a 2015 report of a stolen copy of the Guru Granth Sahib, known as a “bir”. This theft was followed by the discovery of handwritten sacrilegious posters and torn pages of the scripture scattered in the village of Bargari, Faridkot, which sparked widespread protests and outrage. In October 2015, the situation escalated when the police opened fire on demonstrators, killing two people in Behbal Kalan and injuring several others at Kotkapura. These events led to multiple FIRs and investigations aimed at identifying those responsible. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, a self-proclaimed godman and leader of Dera Sacha Sauda, emerged as a suspect, although no direct evidence definitively linked him to the sacrilege. Nonetheless, accusations from Sikh groups and the arrests of individuals connected to his sect have fueled suspicions regarding his involvement.

In February 2023, the Supreme Court transferred the case from a court in Faridkot to Chandigarh after a Dera follower and accused in the case was shot dead.

In March 2023, the Punjab and Haryana High Court paused the sacrilege case proceedings against Ram Rahim following his petition. He had earlier requested a CBI investigation into the 2015 incidents. However, the Supreme Court has now ordered the trial to resume.

Sources: Business Standard, Live Law, and Bar & Bench