Hisar: Amid the pressure on godman Rampal to surrender, the police arrested his close aide Purshottam Das. Meanwhile, the police has slapped sedition and other serious charges against him and several of his followers while ruling out any negotiations with him, a day after armed clashes took place.
Haryana Police's operation to continue till Rampal is arrested, tweets CM Manohar Lal Khattar
Haryana Director General of Police S N Vashisht on Wednesday asserted that police will continue its “operation” till he is arrested for production before Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday in a contempt case.
He said the ashram authorities have handed over bodies of four women and two sick persons, including an infant, who also died in a hospital later. The cause of their death will be investigated.
“There is no possibility of negotiations... There is not even any plan.. He is accused of serious crimes. My suggestion to him is that he should surrender before the law,” Vashisht said while addressing a press conference in Chandigarh.
A large number of followers of godman Rampal, who had been holed up in his ashram for days, came out on Wednesday and narrated how they were virtually confined there along with thousands more who too were desperately wanting to leave the premises.
Hailing from various parts of the country, the followers claimed that “private commandos” of Rampal had been “forcing” them not to leave, but they managed to persuade and come out.
Haryana Director General of Police S N Vashisht told reporters that about 15,000 people were inside the ashram, out of which 10,000 have come out.
Police registered fresh cases on Tuesday night against Rampal, ashram spokesman Raj Kapoor, another key functionary Purshottam Dass and several other followers under under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The cases have been filed under 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).
The fresh cases were filed after clashes broke out at the ashram between police and Rampal’s supporters, who allegedly resorted to firing and threw petrol bombs.
Rampal is already an accused in a murder case. Earlier this week, Punjab and Haryana HC gave the government time till Friday to produce Rampal in contempt of court case, after which authorities have been asking the devotees in and around the Satlok Ashram to disperse and help them comply with court order.
The fresh cases were filed after clashes broke out at the ashram between police and Rampal’s supporters, who allegedly resorted to firing and threw petrol bombs.
Rampal is already an accused in a murder case.
Earlier this week, Punjab and Haryana high court gave the government time till Friday to produce Rampal in contempt of court case, after which authorities have been asking the devotees in and around the Satlok Ashram to disperse and help them comply with court order.
About the deaths, the DGP said there were no wounds on the bodies of the four women. The police was not sure under what circumstances they had passed away and police will investigate all deaths to ascertain the cause, he said.
“Post-mortem examination of the bodies will be conducted to ascertain the exact cause behind their deaths,” he said. The infant belonged to Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh.
He said the operation had been temporarily halted on Tuesday night to allow more followers to come out of the ashram. “So far, as many as 10,000 followers have come out. We believe nearly 5,000 followers are still inside. These followers include women, children and very old persons as well. Most of them hail from places like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
“We are committed to protecting the lives of innocents. Therefore, we are not setting any deadline for this operation as our over-riding priority is to save the lives of innocents,” said the DGP, who was flanked by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) P K Mahapatra and Principal Secretary to CM, Sanjeev Kaushal.
He said so far the security personnel have not entered the ashram and denied that there had been any delay or laxity on part of the police.
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