New Delhi/IBNS: In a blow to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the Supreme Court on Friday lifted the Punjab and Haryana High Court's stay on the trial against the self-styled godman in 2015 Bargari sacrilege cases, media reports said.

Ram Rahim is an accused in three sacrilege cases related to the discretion of the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the holy scripture of Sikhs.

The top court bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan issued a notice to Ram Rahim seeking his response within four weeks.

On June 1, 2015, a copy of Guru Granth Sahib was stolen from a gurdwara at a village in the Faridkot district of Punjab.

After protests by the Sikh leaders, torn pages of the holy scripture were found lying scattered on the ground in front of a gurdwara in Bargari on October 12, 2015.

The incidents had led to protests in Faridkot. Two persons were killed when police fired at the protesters and some were injured in Faridkot.

Ram Rahim, who is convicted in a rape case, is already serving a 20-year jail sentence.

Ram Rahim Singh was convicted by a special CBI court in Haryana's Panchkula in August 2017 for raping two women.

Rahim is known to have a mass following in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, as well as Haryana.