Rampal acquitted in two cases of rioting
court of judicial magistrate (first class) Mukesh Kumar on Tuesday acquitted self-styled godman Rampal in two cases related to rioting, unlawful assembly and use of force, but he won’t walk free as he is facing several other charges, including murder.
The court granted the relief to the head of Satlok Ashram in Haryana’s Barwala and his followers at a makeshift court set up inside Hisar central jail, citing lack of evidence.
“Rampal and his hundreds of the followers has been acquitted in the two cases registered under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 426 (punishment for mischief) 146 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 342 (wrongful confinement),” said Rampal’s lawyer AP Singh.
The other serious cases registered against Rampal include sedition, murder and rioting.
The 66-year-old sect head, who runs a sprawling 12-acre Satlok Ashram in Hisar’s Barwala, first shot into limelight in the late 90s after touring Haryana as a devotional singer.
Rampal was arrested after a week-long standoff between his supporters and the police after around 15,000 of his followers were evacuated from the Satlok Ashram premises in 2014.