Violent clashes at Rampal's ashram leave over 100 injured

BARWALA (HISAR): Violent clashes broke out at the ashram in Haryana of controversial 'godman' Rampal here with police lobbing teargas shells and resorting to lathicharge to disperse his supporters who allegedly fired back, leaving over 100 persons, including security and media personnel, injured.

Tension mounted as supporters of Rampal refused to heed to repeated announcements by the police over loud speakers to allow them to enter the premises to arrest him.

In the entire operation being carried out by police and paramilitary forces, which State DGP S N Vashisht described as "very tough" since they were dealing with presence of many women and children inside, police lobbed teargas shells and used batons and water cannons to disperse Rampal's supporters who allegedly fired back, pelted stones and hurled "petrol bombs" back at them.

Police said that over 100 persons had been injured that include many followers, media persons and security personnel and some of them had been admitted to various hospitals at Hissar, Barwala, Agroha and Uklana after being injured in the violence.

A JCB machine was set on fire by the miscreants inside the Ashram as authorities attempted to break the third wall of the 50-feet high boundary wall surrounding the huge building.

Towards the evening, the operation was briefly halted as authorities gave some time to the followers to come out and cooperate so that they could carry out the job to execute the court orders to arrest Rampal.

Security personnel were attempting to storm the premises and arrest Rampal, against whom fresh Non-Bailable Warrants were issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday.

There were conflicting reports with some stating that Rampal was inside the ashram.

Ashram spokesman Raj Kapoor had said that Rampal was "unwell" and was being treated at an "undisclosed location".

However, DGP S N Vashisht told reporters in Chandigarh that as per their information Rampal "is still inside the Ashram".