The Supreme Court on Friday lifted the stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on proceedings against self-styled godman and Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in three sacrilege cases of 2015, reports Bar and Bench.
A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan issued notice on the plea filed by the Punjab government against the stay on proceedings.
The court was hearing an appeal from the Punjab government regarding a March ruling that halted proceedings against Singh in the three sacrilege cases.
The issues stem from several incidents in Bargari, Faridkot district, where the scripture of the holy book Guru Granth Sahib was allegedly desecrated and went missing.
In February of last year, the Supreme Court transferred the trial against Singh and seven Dera Sacha Sauda followers from a court in Faridkot to Chandigarh, following the shooting death of Dera follower Pardeep Singh Kataria, an accused in the case.
In December 2021, Singh petitioned the High Court to demand that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continue its probe into the three sacrilege FIRs from 2015.