Self-styled godman Sant Rampal was convicted on Thursday by a Hisar court in two murder cases. The quantum of sentence will be announced on October 16 and 17. Rampal is currently lodged at Hisar’s Central Jail-2. In November 2015, after a two-week long stand-off between his followers and police, he was arrested. The violence had left six people dead and several others injured.
After the verdict on Thursday, security has been tightened in Hisar. Rail services to the district from different parts of the country have already been stopped.
Rampal Satlok Ashram case LATEST UPDATES:
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13:19 pm: The quantum of sentence will be announced on October 16 and 17
12:54 pm: Self-styled godman Rampal held guilty by Hisar Court in both cases of murder filed against him
12:34 pm: Hearing is taking place via video conferencing
12:19 pm: Rampal is locked up in Hisar Central Jail-2. Hearing is taking place in Central Jail-1.
12:02 pm: I'm not being allowed to go inside the court: A P Singh, who claims to be a lawyer of Rampal
11:40 pm:
11:10 am: Judgement is likely to be announced around 12 pm
11:00 am: Judge and lawyers have reached the jail
A heavy deployment of police force has been made by the local administration as thousands of followers of Sant Rampal are expected to reach Hisar in Haryana. At least 1300 police jawans from the state and 700 others from the neighbouring states have been deployed in Hisar.
Para-military forces and Rapid Action Force (RAF) jawans have also been kept on standby.
On November 17, 2014, a case was registered against self-styled godman Rampal, the head of Satlok Ashram, 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 (Assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty).
Another case was registered against Rampal and his followers - Purshotam Dass, Raj Kumar, Mohinder Singh, Rajender Singh, Rahul and 30-40 other persons - on November 18, 2014 on a complaint of Sukhdev Singh of Ratia (Fatehabad) 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).
Rampal was arrested after 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.
WATCH VIDEO: Haryana: Verdict in Sant Rampal case today, security tightened in Hisar
(With inputs from agencies)
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