Bargari sacrilege: SC orders shifting of all cases from Punjab's Faridkot trial court to Chandigarh
Citing 'security threat' after Pardeep Kataria's killing, five dera premis had moved SC seeking transfer of trial in three inter-linked cases to court outside Punjab
New Delhi, February 28: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered to shift all cases related to the Bargari sacrilege incident from Punjab's Faridkot trial court to Chandigarh.
Notably, after the murder of Pardeep Singh Kataria, an accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege incident, five Dera Sacha Sauda followers moved the Supreme Court seeking the transfer of the trial in three inter-linked cases to a court outside Punjab. They cited “security threat”.
Taking up the case on Tuesday, the Supreme Court announced to shift all cases related to the Bargari sacrilege incident in Punjab from the Faridkot trial court to Chandigarh.
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Pardeep was accused in two cases — theft of a 'bir' of Guru Granth Sahib ji and sacrilege at Bargari in Faridkot district. He was granted bail in the sacrilege cases on August 3, 2021. A follower of the Dera Sacha Sauda, Pradeep Kataria was shot dead in November last while he was opening his dairy shop in Faridkot's Kotkapura.
Trial in all three cases is pending in the Faridkot court at the stage of arguments on framing of charges.
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who is currently out on parole, has also been nominated as the main conspirator by the SIT.
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