Self-styled godman Rampal was remanded in judicial custody till November 28 by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday even as the police slapped fresh charges of murder and violence against him for the standoff between his supporters and the police at the Satlok Ashram in Barwala, Hisar.
“I want to say that two other cases have been registered in Barwala and these pertain to murder. The six deaths that occurred [inside the ashram of an infant and five women) have been covered in these two cases,” Director General of Police, Haryana, S.N. Vashisht said.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Superintendent of Police, Hisar, is searching the ashram for more evidence. Mr. Vashisht said the SIT would submit its report within a day or two.
Earlier in the day, the High Court cancelled the bail granted to Rampal in a 2006 murder case and directed his immediate arrest. The Advocate General submitted before the Division Bench of Justices M. Jeyapaul and Darshan Singh that Rampal had been arrested from his Barwala ashram on Wednesday night in a contempt of court case and hence be produced in court on Thursday morning itself. The Bench directed Rampal to be presented at 2 p.m.
Sant Rampal in prisoner's cell at Sector 5 police station before he was taken by police to produce before Punjab & Haryana High Court in Chandigarh on November 20, 2014. Photo: Akhilesh Kumar
Rampal was brought to the court around 1.30 p.m amid heavy security. Giving details of the hearing, amicus curiae Anupam Gupta said the Division Bench directed the Haryana Director General of Police to submit by November 28, a detailed report on the operation that took place at the ashram to arrest Rampal, the casualties suffered, the injuries caused and the recovery of arms and ammunition.
The Bench further asked the Haryana Chief Secretary to submit a report regarding the properties owned by the godman.
Mr. Vashisht said the ashram had been fully evacuated. Around 4,000 people, including 1,500 women, were removed on Thursday and put on buses for their journey back home.
The police have so far arrested 459 people, including 118 of Rajasthan, 116 of Haryana, 72 of Madhya Pradesh, 10 of Bihar, 83 of Uttar Pradesh and three of Nepal, for the violence in the ashram. Those arrested include Babita, the daughter of Baljit, a close associate of the godman.
The police have also recovered a laptop, six mobile phones, and 10 hard disks, besides five files.
