New Delhi, Jan 3 (Reporter) The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice in a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court's acquittal of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case of manager Ranjit Singh. A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, tagged the CBI's plea with a pending appeal filed by the complainant—Ranjit Singh’s father—who had also challenged the acquittal. Ranjit Singh was murdered in 2002 by four unidentified assailants, allegedly on the orders of Ram Rahim, who suspected him of circulating an anonymous letter exposing the sexual exploitation of female followers within the Dera. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, informed the Court about a previous notice issued by a Bench led by Justice Bela Trivedi in the complainant's appeal. Acknowledging this, the CJI directed the matter to be listed before the Bench presided over by Justice Bela Trivedi, stating: "Issue notice and tag the matter with SLP (Crl) No. 012607/2024." The High Court’s May 28, 2024 decision to acquit Ram Rahim was based on its finding that the CBI, which took over the investigation in November 2023, had failed to establish a clear motive and that the prosecution's case was riddled with doubts. The other accused—Avtar Singh, Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, and Sabdil Singh—remain convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. One co-accused, Inder Sain, passed away during the trial in 2020. Ram Rahim is already serving a 20-year sentence for rape convictions. Additionally, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati, with the life term set to commence after the completion of his 20-year sentence. The Supreme Court will now review the CBI’s appeal alongside the complainant's challenge to the High Court's acquittal order in the coming weeks...////...