3:30pm: Defence lawyer SK Garg told the media on Thursday that Rampal could not appear before the court earlier because he was held captive inside the ashram. On being asked the names of those who held him hostage, Garg said there were many of them and he doesn't remember their names.
3:05pm: The Chandigarh High Court has asked the police to submit a complete report on the violence in Hisar and asked to mention relevant facts on arrests and casualties.
It has posted the next hearing to 28 November.
1:48pm: Rampal produced before Punjab & Haryana High Court.
1:23pm: Sant Rampal has been brought to Punjab & Haryana High Court. He denied using his supporters as human shield and regretted death of six of his followers.
12:30pm: Rampal put behind bars in Panchkula police station in Chandigarh.
11:35am: Rampal's bail in connection with the 2006 murder case has been cancelled by the Chandigarh court.
11:05am: Sant Rampal has been brought to a Chandigarh Court. Rampal told media that all the charges imposed on him are false.
After a two-day tussle, the Haryana police finally stormed into self-styled godman Sant Rampal's Satlok Ashram on Wednesday night and arrested him. He will be produced before the court on Thursday.
He was taken into custody on Wednesday and taken to Chandigarh's Panchkula district hospital for medical examination. He will be produced before the Haryana & Punjab High Court on Thursday at 2 pm.
The 63-year-old godman, who is facing charges for murder, inciting mobs and contempt of court, was supposed to appear before the High Court on Friday, but the date has now been changed to 20 November, Thursday.
Rampal was out on bail since 2008 in connection with the 2006 murder case, but the HC has now cancelled his bail. It will also take up his contempt of court case along with other fresh charges imposed upon him.
The Haryana police have imposed additional charges on him and his followers for trying to evade arrest and for using his followers as a human shield to prevent arrest.
A case against Rampal and some of his supporters and officials of Satlok Ashram has been filed under Sections 121 (waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India) and 121A (conspiring to commit certain offences against the state).
Case has also been filed under Sections 122 (Collecting arms etc. with the intention of waging war against the Government of India) and 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war). Additionally, other charges include attempt to murder and assault. He has also been charged under various Sections of the Arms Act, Haryana DGP Vashisht said on Wednesday.
To prevent his arrest, his supporters clashed with the police trying to invade Rampal's ashram to take him into custody.
It was only after two days of violence that police was successful in getting hold of the 'Godman' and over 400 of his supporters for firing at police and attacking them with acid pouches, stones and bricks.
At least 105 policemen, several of Rampal's followers and journalists were injured in the clash in which six people, including 5 women and a one-and-a-half-year-old child, died in his ashram. Also. over 10,000 of his followers were evacuated from the ashram.
The High Court had released a non-bailable warrant against Rampal and had asked the Haryana police to produce him before court last Monday. However, he evaded arrest on Sunday.
Rampal is facing charges in connection with a murder case in July 2006, when his followers opened fire at the villagers killing a 20-year-old Sonu during a clash with Arya Samaj followers.
The violence erupted after Rampal commented on a book – Satyarth Prakash – written by Arya Samaj founder Swami Dayanand Saraswati. He said that Satyarth Prakash is a book of mithya – myths.
"I have not described Arya Samaj as bad but the knowledge which is pointless. In fact it should be christened as Mithyarth Prakash," Hindustan Times quoted Rampal as saying.
His comment triggered anger amidst Saraswati's followers, which resulted in violence. After Sonu was shot dead in the clash, police arrested Rampal and his 38 followers. He remained in jail for 18 months in connection with the murder until he was released on bail in 2008.
