Godman Rampal is acquitted in 2 cases

Chandigarh: A court on Tuesday acquitted self-styled godman Rampal and others in two criminal cases. The court of judicial magistrate was shifted to the Central Jail to pronounce the verdict in the case. However, Rampal will remain in jail as there are more cases pending against him. The district attorney (DA), Rajender Kumar, said that the court was temporarily shifted to the Central Jail in view of the security arrangements where the accused Rampal is presently lodged with other accomplices.

The court of judicial magistrate Mukesh Kumar completed the process of evidence in the FIR numbers 426 and 427 registered in Barwala police station on November 17 and November 18 in 2015, respectively. On November 17, 2014, a case was registered against Rampal and 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.

Rampal resisted the police operation to arrest him on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana high court while holed up inside his Satlok Ashram in Barwala town of Hisar.

Rampal was arrested after a tense standoff between some of his supporters and the police when close to 15,000 of his followers were evacuated from the sprawling premises in 2014. The standoff turned violent resulting in death of five persons. Among the accused are Rampal and some of his key associates, including Purshotam Dass , Rajkumar, Mahinder Singh, Rajender Singh and Rajkapoor. Rampal is presently lodged in jail. Sources said the accused were facing charges under Sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the IPC in the two criminal cases.