Sant Rampal was arrested in 2014 following a days-long standoff between law enforcers and his supporters
The court is expected to announce sentences in the death of a fifth woman on Wednesday
AGENCIES / HISAR (Haryana)
A court in Haryana today sentenced a Hindu guru of Satlok Ashram Ram Pal and 14 followers to life imprisonment in the deaths of four women and a child at his sprawling ashram.
Rampal, 67, was arrested in 2014 following a days-long standoff between law enforcers and his supporters in which six people died and hundreds were injured. At the time, Rampal was wanted for questioning in a 2006 murder case and had repeatedly ignored orders to appear in court.
Apart from Rampal, the quantum of punishment was also announced for 22 of his supporters who had participated in the violent clashed with the police. The Satlok Ashram chief was found guilty in the murder case of four women and a child in the November 2014 clashes with the police.
The court of additional district and sessions judge (ADJ) DR Chalia had given the verdict on Thursday after final arguments in the case were presented on last Monday. Security in and around Hisar was tight on Tuesday to avoid any untoward incidents by his supporters. Over 2,000 security personnel had been deployed to keep the situation in check.
There were two cases against Satlok Ashram head Rampal and his followers which were lodged at the Barwala Police Station on November 19, 2014. The first case was filed on complaint of a man called Shivpal, who hailed from Mithapur near Badrapur town at Delhi’s periphery. The second FIR was lodged by Suresh, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh’s Jakhora village.
The two men had said that their wives had been murdered inside Rampal’s ashram at Barwala village where they had been held captive by the godman and his followers following clashes with police.