“We are committed to bring out the godman who is 100 per cent still inside the Ashram and comply with the High Court directive,” the DGP said.
Vashisht said as the security personnel, including para military forces, launched the operation, they first had to face a hostile group of 50 followers who poured disel on themselves and threatened to commit self-immolation.
“We used water canons. However, this group soon attacked the police with acid bottles, but we exercised restraint and managed to prevail upon them,” he said.
He said that Rampal was using a group of 2,000 to 3,000 women and children as “human shields” and they had pitched their camp outside the Ashram complex for past several days, but police managed to disperse them.
The DGP said police registered an FIR after a follower this morning made frantic calls to the police stating that he wanted to come out of the Ashram but was being forcibly held back. Another case was registered against the youths who attempted to immolate themselves.
Giving details of the “very tough” operation in which they were currently involved, he said they were dealing with a hostile group of Rampal's men who were armed with lathis, weapons like .315 bore guns, revolvers and pistols, though no automatic weapon was suspected to be with them.
Vashisht said that a number of followers were stated to have carried licensed weapons inside the Ashram some of which had been taken into possession by Rampal.
Some of these weapons being used from inside the Ashram against policemen deployed outside, he said, adding 10 cartridges were seized from two followers who had been arrested.
Besides, the followers carried crude bombs, petrol bombs, acid bottles and stones.
Besides, there was an “LPG dump” had been found during the operation today when a wall was being demolished.
