Rampal charged with treason, Haryana police confirm 6 deaths

IndiaToday, New Delhi,/November 19, 2014

Controversial sect leader Rampal was charged with treason and other serious charges on Wednesday even as he continued to evade arrest for almost two weeks. Haryana Police claimed the defiant godman, wanted in a murder case, is still inside his 12-acre Satlok Ashram in Hisar district's Barwala town.

The Haryana Police on Wednesday also confirmed that five women and a child have died during the stand-off between Rampal's supporters and security forces. The state Director General of Police S N Vashisht said that bodies of four women were handed over by ashram authorities to police while one woman and an 18-month-old child died in hospital.

The DGP said that none of the victims bore any bodily injuries. He said one woman and the child died because proper medical attention was not given to them in time.

Several media persons covering the stand-off and clash were injured when the police carried out an unprovoked attack on them. The cameras of many journalists were broken. Hundreds of Rampal followers, including women and children, camped outside his ashram for nearly a fortnight in a bid to prevent security forces from entering the complex.

The sect leader has been avoiding arrest and has 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 this year when he was going there in connection with a 2006 murder conspiracy case. The High Court took suo motu notice of the incident and summoned Rampal.

12:36 pm: Sant Rampal must surrender, he has been booked for treason: Haryana DGP.

12:32 pm: Haryana DGP confirms recovery of 4 women's bodies near Rampal's ashram, says cause of death yet to be known.

12:30 pm: Hundreds of women, children and men come out of Rampal's Hisar ashram, police take them to safer place in buses.

12:28 pm: Around 2,000 supporters of Sant Rampal left his ashram on Monday after 10 pm: Haryana DGP.

To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject click here.