Barwala (Haryana): Several people were injured as followers of controversial sect leader Rampal clashed with the police outside his Satlok Ashram in Haryana’s Hisar district Tuesday.
The sect followers allegedly fired at the security forces and even lobbed petrol bombs, police sources said. They also attacked the security forces with stones and bricks.
Smoke could be seen coming out from the roof of the ashram complex where a large number of sect followers are holed up along with Rampal.
Police fired tear gas and used water cannons against the hundreds of determined followers of the self-styled godman as the police moved closer to the ashram to get inside and arrest Rampal.
Police personnel used canes against the sect followers. Some journalists were also targeted by police personnel with canes.
Security personnel transported some of the injured, including media persons, in ambulances to nearby Barwala town.
Police sources said that over 20,000 security personnel, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Haryana Police, had surrounded the ashram complex, which is spread in over 12 acres of land.
Hundreds of Rampal followers, including women and children, have been camping outside his ashram, 210 km from here, for nearly a fortnight to prevent security forces from entering the complex to arrest Rampal.
The sect leader has been avoiding arrest and has failed to appear before the Punjab and Haryana high Court although non-bailable warrants have been issued against him Nov 5.
The controversial sect leader’s followers had indulged in vandalism in a court in Hisar in July this year when Rampal was going there in connection with a 2006 murder conspiracy case.
The high court took suo moto notice of the Hisar incident and summoned Rampal to appear before it.
Several media persons injured as Haryana Police target them
Several media persons covering the stand-off and clash between the security forces and followers of controversial sect leader Rampal were injured Tuesday as the police carried out an unprovoked attack on the journalists.
The media persons were targeted suddenly near the Satlok Ashram, near Haryana’s Barwala town, while they were covering the violent clash between the sect followers and security forces.
The media had been taken near the ashram complex by the police itself following verbal orders of Haryana director general of police (DGP) S.N. Vashisht to the Hisar police officers.
“We were taken ahead by the police itself and were covering the clash from a distance. Suddenly, the police came from behind us and attacked all journalists. The police attacked journalists with sticks mercilessly. Many were injured and cameras were broken or taken away,” said one journalist, who has been covering the stand-off outside the ashram for over one week.
The journalists were attacked on the hands and legs.
“The police, it was apparent, did not want the clash to be filmed. They broke cameras and other equipment. Journalists were chased into the fields and beaten up. No medical help was provided to them,” another TV journalist said.
Most journalists said that they were caught unaware by the sudden police attack on them.
