Punjab and Haryana HC cancels godman Rampal’s bail in 2006 murder case

CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday cancelled the bail of controversial godman Rampal in a 2006 murder case and ordered that he be taken into custody immediately.

The HC pronounced the cancellation of bail immediately after Haryana advocate general and station house officer (SHO) of Barwala police station in Hisar moved an application stating that Rampal had been arrested in a contempt of court case.

The bench comprising of Justices M Jeyapaul and Darshan Singh ordered that he be arrested immediately in the 2006 murder case.

The court, which had suo motu taken up the issue of cancellation of bail on November 10 when Rampal failed to appear in the contempt case, had on November 18 reserved the order after hearing the defence, the state and amicus curiae.

Rampal was nabbed on Wednesday night at his ashram in Barwala after an over two-week tense standoff between police and his supporters, who were resisting his arrest after non-bailable warrants were issued against him for not appearing in the contempt case.

The HC also directed that he be produced at 2pm today in the contempt of court case after attorney general B R Mahajan and Barwala SHO Anil Kumar moved an application informing the court that Rampal was arrested on Wednesday night.

Following his arrest from the Satlok Ashram in Barwala, Haryana, self-styled godman Rampal was brought to Panchkula town, adjoining Chandigarh early on Thursday on and was medically examined.

Rampal, who has been avoiding appearing before the high court on medical grounds, was seen walking out of the ambulance, which brought him from the Barwala Ashram, over 210km from here, on his own.

He was brought to Panchkula under heavy police protection.

“We have examined him and his condition, including his blood pressure, is stable,” BK Bansal, a doctor at Panchkula’s Sector 6 General Hospital, told media.
READ ALSO: Rampal could go into slammer for life

Baba’s ashram an illegal building

Haryana Police finally arrested the elusive self-styled godman Rampal on Wednesday evening from his fortified Satlok ashram near Barwala.

At least six people lost their lives in the stand-off as Rampal eluded the police, while many of his key aides and around 450 supporters were also arrested.

After his arrest, Rampal was whisked away in an ambulance by the police from the ashram.
The deaths of five women and an infant occurred during a stand-off and violent clashes between the controversial sect leader’s followers and the security forces.

Senior police officers, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Haryana Police personnel entered the ashram complex Wednesday evening and Rampal was arrested around 9.15pm.

Rampal has been slapped with fresh cases of sedition, attempt to murder, rioting and illegal detention.
Nearly 14,000 sect followers came out of the ashram Wednesday even as Rampal continued to evade arrest.

Supporters of Rampal on Tuesday clashed with security forces to prevent them from entering the ashram premises.

The area around the ashram resembled a battlefield as sect supporters resisted police action.

Sect followers fired at police, lobbed petrol bombs and acid pouches, besides hurling stones and bricks outside the ashram, clearly indicating that the sect was well prepared to resist the security forces.

The sect leader has been avoiding arrest and failed to appear before the Punjab and Haryana high court although non-bailable warrants were issued against him on November 5.

Rampal’s supporters had indulged in vandalism in a court in Hisar in July when he was going there in connection with a 2006 murder case.

The high court took suo motu notice of the incident and had summoned Rampal.