Rampal to be produced before Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday

CHANDIGARH: Tight security arrangements have been made here as self-styled godman Rampal is scheduled to be produced before Punjab and Haryana High Court tomorrow here in a contempt case.

The High Court had cancelled the bail of Rampal in a 2006 murder case on November 20 and directed the Haryana police to produce him on November 28.

The division bench comprising Justice M Jeyapaul and Justice Darshan Singh had posted the matter for hearing on November 28 with a direction to Haryana Police chief to file an affidavit giving details of the operation carried out to arrest Rampal from his ashram in Barwala in Haryana's Hisar district along with damage, injuries to people, regarding arms and ammunition in the ashram and loss of property.

63-year-old Rampal, against whom the High Court had issued non-bailable warrant in the contempt case, had failed to appear before it on three dates - November 5, 10 and 17.

He had been evading appearance claiming to be "not well". The court had suo motu taken up the issue of cancellation of bail on November 10 when Rampal failed to appear in the contempt case.

He was arrested by Haryana police on November 19 from his 12-acre Satlok Ashram at Barwala in Hisar.

The 'godman' was produced before the High Court a day after his arrest on November 20 in a contempt of court case. He was later remanded to five day police custody by a local court after fresh cases were slapped on him which was extended by six days.

So far, more than 900 followers of Rampal have been arrested on various charges.

During the standoff between Rampal's followers and the police, five women and a child had died, while more than 200 people were injured in the clashes.

Besides sedition and other charges, fresh FIRs including that of murder were also registered against him.