Bid to incite public will lead to nixing of bail: High court to Rampal

CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana HC suspended the life sentence awarded to controversial preacher Rampal in connection with the 2014 murder case of his follower but warned him against disturbing public peace upon release. Attempt to incite others to commit any offence would result in his bail being cancelled, HC cautioned. Rampal, of Satlok Ashram in Barwala, Hisar in Haryana, has been in jail for over a decade since his arrest.

The division bench of justices Gurvinder Singh Gill and Deepinder Singh Nalwa ordered, "The applicant (Rampal) is directed not to promote any kind of 'mob mentality' and avoid participating in congregations where there is any kind of tendency amongst 'disciples' or participants to cause a breach in peace, law, and order". Rampal had filed a petition seeking suspension of his life term.

He was sentenced on Oct 11, 2018, by a Hisar court for murder, wrongful confinement, and criminal conspiracy after a follower, Raj Bala, died of asphyxia. His counsel argued she died when police lobbed tear gas shells at his dera, causing suffocation and stampede. He said there was no evidence linking Rampal to the death.

The state counsel countered that Rampal held women & others hostage and confined them in a room, leading to their death from suffocation. A total of five women followers died in the incident, for which Rampal was awarded life imprisonment separately.

Suspending the sentence, HC observed that eyewitnesses, who are relatives of the deceased, did not support the prosecution's case. Rather, they stated that conditions of suffocation were created due to teargas shells.