The Supreme Court on Friday paved the way for the trial of the incarcerated self-styled godman and Dera Sacha Sauda head, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in three cases relating to sacrilege of holy book- Guru Granth Sahib – in 2015 as it lifted the stay on the trial court proceedings by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Lifting the stay granted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in March this year, a bench comprising Justice BT Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan issued notice to the self-styled godman on an appeal by the Punjab government against the High Court order.

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The cases were filed after several incidents in Bargari in Faridkot district, where the scripture of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs, was allegedly desecrated and had gone missing.

In December 2021, Ram Rahim had moved the High Court seeking CBI probe in the three cases allegedly involving the desecration of the Holy book of the Sikhs. The High Court then stayed the proceedings in the case.

Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year sentence for rape and also convicted for murder. He has the distinction of being released on parole repeatedly. In the just concluded election to Haryana assembly, Dera Sacha Sauda had asked its supporters to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party.