Verdict in Sant Rampal case out today: The charges against Haryana-based self-styled godman

Even as Haryana is still tense over the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the verdict in cases against another self-styled godman Sant Rampal will be announced by a Hisar court on Tuesday. ABPLive reported that the verdict is expected at around 1 pm on Tuesday. [caption id=“attachment_3986155” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Sant Rampal. PTI[/caption] Rampal is a person who claims to be a direct descendant of Kabir and had made news when in November 2014, a tense ten-day standoff between some of his followers and security forces at his Satlok Ashram in Barwala in Hisar led to the death of five women and a one-year-old child. According to PTI, two cases were registered against the Rampal. One was registered against him and some of his followers under IPC Sections 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of his public function), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 353 (Assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty). The other was registered against Rampal and his followers — Purshotam Dass, Raj Kumar, Mohinder Singh, Rajender Singh, Rahul and 30-40 other persons — on a complaint under IPC Sections 147 (Rioting), 149 (Unlawful assembly, every other member of such assembly shall be guilty of the offence), 188 (disobedient to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant) and 342 (Wrongfully confining any person). The troubles for Rampal began in 2006 when Rampal had raised objections to certain portions of the Satyarth Prakash, the core central text of the Arya Samaj, according to News18. This had led to clashes between the two sects. Followers of Arya Samaj had tried to forcibly shut Rampal’s ashram in Karontha village in Rohtak. Rampal’s followers had allegedly opened fire on villagers. The clash had left three people dead and 160 others injured. The News18 report further says that Arya Samaj followers have been wanting to raze Rampal’s ashram and cut off water supply to his followers’ houses. Rampal was charged with murder and spent 22 months in prison. He was released on bail in 2008 but did not attend court hearings regularly after that. In fact, between 2010 and 2014, Rampal skipped court 42 times. In November 2014, after the Punjab and Haryana High Court told the government to produce Rampal in a contempt of court case, it led to the ten-day standoff. News18 also reported that Rampal and around 492 of his followers were charged with sedition, murder, attempt to murder, conspiracy, hoarding illegal weapons and aiding and abetting suicide. With inputs from agencies