Sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib: SC throws out plea to transfer case outside Punjab [Read Judgment]

New Delhi (ILNS): The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea by members of the controversial Dera Sacha Sauda, headed by jailed rapist criminal Gurmeet Ram Rahim, to transfer the sacrilege cases outside of Punjab.

The court said that there it found no reason to transfer the trial out of the state.

Justice Hrishikesh Roy said that, “The transfer of trial from one state to another would inevitably reflect on the credibility of the State’s judiciary. Except for compelling factors and clear situation of deprivation of fair justice, the transfer power should not be invoked. The present bunch of cases are not perceived to be amongst such exceptional categories.”

Members of the Dera Sacha Sauda were charged with sacrilege for allegedly tearing the Guru Granth Sahib and throwing the torn papers on the ground.

Dera members had moved the top court to transfer the case trial to another state, claiming that they would not get a fair trial in Punjab and that they were facing threats to their life in the state.

Read the judgment here;