Sant Rampal in a police cell at Panchkula on Thursday.(Photo: PTI)
‘Godman’ claims was held ‘captive’ at ashram
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday remanded self-styled “godman” Rampal in judicial custody till November 28. Rampal was arrested from his Satlok ashram in Barwala, in Haryana’s Hisar district, on Wednesday night after a long police operation. The police also slapped charges of murder and violence over the deaths of six people (four women in his ashram and one woman and an infant who died in hospital) during the stand-off that ended Wednesday night.
A two-judge high court division bench comprising Justices M. Jeyapaul and Darshan asked the Haryana government to file a report in connection with the police operation at Rampal’s ashram. When the bench asked Rampal why he didn’t surrender to the police, the sect leader replied he had been held captive in his ashram. Earlier on Thursday, the court cancelled the bail granted to Rampal in April 2008 in a 2006 murder case.
“So far 469 people have been arrested while more people are being questioned. Out of the total arrests made, 118 belong to Rajasthan, 116 from Haryana, 72 from Madhya Pradesh, 10 from Bihar, 83 from UP and three from Nepal (sic),” DGP S.N. Vashisht said. “We have also arrested Rampal’s key aide Baljeet. Baljeet’s daughter Babita too has been arrested and from her one laptop, six mobile phones, 10 hard disks, 17 CDs, three telephone diaries and five files have been recovered. He said that another key aide, Ram Kunwar Dhaka, too has been arrested while Rampal’s brother and key functionary Purshottam Dass and others were caught earlier.
“One special team, which will include cyber experts, will scan all seized equipment and whatever information we get during the course of the investigation will be shared with you (made public),” the DGP said.
Rampal, who was brought to a hospital in Panchkula, told media while being taken from hospital to the police station Thursday morning that all allegations against him were false. He denied keeping anyone hostage while the police was trying to enter his Satlok ashram. Asked whether he was a “godman” or a “conman”, Rampal stayed silent.
The Haryana police booked Rampal on a murder charge, formed an SIT and made 469 arrests, including of three persons from Nepal. Director-general of police S.N. Vashisht told a press conference here that two new cases have been registered against Rampal in connection with the deaths of five women and an infant in his ashram and the violence. The post-mortem examination reports (of the five women and one infant) had died revealed internal injuries but the exact causes of death will emerge only after forensic and chemical examinations.
The Haryana police had made heavy security arrangements outside the HC premises to keep the “godman’s” followers at bay and to ensure they did not break the law.
The controversial sect leader, who has been charged under IPC Sections 121 (waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India), 121A (conspiring to commit certain offences against the state) and 122 (Collecting arms, etc. with the intention of waging war against the Government of India), was taken to hospital after he complained of high blood pressure. “We have examined him. His condition, including his blood pressure, is stable,” Dr B.K. Bansal of Panchkula’s Sector 6 General Hospital, told media.
DGP S.N. Vashisht said Rampal had been taken into custody following an operation which was “very tough” as the forces had to deal with a hostile army of private commandos. The police said Rampal was arrested around 9.20 pm Wednesday and whisked away in an ambulance. The media, present in large numbers, was asked to clear the way for the ambulances to enter the ashram, the police said.
The sect leader had been evading arrest and failed to appear before the Punjab and Haryana high court although non-bailable warrants had been issued against him November 5.
Rampal’s supporters had indulged in vandalism in a Hisar court in July when he was going there in connection with a 2006 murder case. The high court had taken suo motu notice of the incident and had summoned Rampal.