SC allows Dera chief’s plea to examine ex-CBI official

Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s plea seeking summoning of a former CBI official, who had recorded statements of two alleged rape victims in a 14-year-old case, for his testimony as a court witness.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and UU Lalit directed that CBI’s investigating officer (IO) KL Raina, now retired, be summoned as a court witness. “Let K L Raina be summoned and examined as court witness within four weeks from on Tuesday,” the bench said. 

It said both parties would appear before the lower court on October 6 to decide the date of hearing for recording of deposition of the former CBI official, after which trial will proceed as per CrPC. 

The sect figure-head said in his appeal that his right to fair and impartial trial was affected specially when he was denied the statements of two alleged victims as also his plea to examine Raina, who was the earlier IO of the case and had recorded the statements of the two women.