Arrested Godman Rampal says allegations against him are false

CHANDIGARH: Controversial sect leader Rampal was on Thursday put behind the bars after the Punjab and Haryana high court cancelled the bail granted to him in a 2006 murder case. Rampal was taken from the Sector 6 general hospital, where he was admitted early in the day, to the Sector 5 police station at Panchkula, adjoining Chandigarh.

Arrested Godman Rampal says allegations against him are false

He was put inside a police lock up. Several security personnel in riot gear stood guard outside.

Before being taken to the police station, Rampal claimed that he was an innocent man.

"I am innocent. All the charges against me are baseless," he told journalists. Disappointment writ large on his face, Rampal stood in the lock up holding the iron bars, occasionally looking down.

Rampal has been produced in the high court. Proceedings against the self-styled godman in the contempt of court case will begin shortly.

A division bench of the high court earlier cancelled the bail granted to the self-styled godman in April 2008.

Amicus Curie Anupam Gupta, who is assisting the court in the case, said the court cancelled his earlier bail and allowed Haryana Police to present him before the court on Thursday afternoon.

Haryana's advocate general BR Mahajan told the court that Rampal had been arrested and sought permission to advance his hearing in a contempt of court case slapped against the sect leader.

The court issued fresh non-bailable warrants against Rampal on November 17 and directed that he be produced by Friday.

Rampal, who remained elusive on health grounds, was finally arrested on Wednesday night from his Satlok ashram near Barwala town in Haryana, about 210km from here.

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.