The Punjab and Haryana High Court has suspended the life sentence awarded to self-styled godman Rampal, head of the Satlok Ashram, nearly seven years after he was convicted in a case relating to the death of five disciples during a 2014 standoff with police.
A division bench of Justices Gurvinder Singh Gill and Deepinder Singh Nalwa passed the order on September 2, after hearing Rampal’s petition seeking suspension of his sentence. Rampal was convicted by a Hisar court in October 2018 under Sections 302 (murder), 343 (wrongful confinement) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
On November 19, 2014, police attempted to arrest Rampal from his Barwala-based ashram in Hisar district, leading to a violent standoff with his followers. Around 15,000 devotees were evacuated from the 12-acre premises. During the confrontation, five people, including four women, lost their lives.
Rampal and several of his followers were later arrested. In 2018, the trial court sentenced him to life imprisonment in two separate cases linked to the incident.
The bench noted that while there were allegations that Rampal had kept women and others captive inside the ashram, questions remained regarding whether the deaths were homicidal. “Even the eye-witnesses, who are relatives of the deceased, have not supported the prosecution’s case and have rather stated that conditions of suffocation were created due to tear gas shells,” the court observed.
The court also took into account Rampal’s age (74 years) and the fact that he had already spent 10 years, 8 months, and 21 days in custody. On these grounds, it held the matter fit for suspending his sentence during the pendency of his appeal.
While granting him relief, the court imposed strict conditions. Rampal has been directed not to promote any form of “mob mentality” and to refrain from participating in congregations where his followers might cause a breach of peace or law and order. The bench clarified that if Rampal violated these conditions or was found inciting others to commit offences, the state could move for cancellation of his bail.
Rampal’s counsel argued that the deaths occurred due to suffocation when police fired tear gas shells inside the ashram, which created a stampede-like situation. They claimed medical evidence suggested natural causes of death rather than homicidal injuries, and that Rampal had been falsely implicated. They also highlighted that all 13 of his co-accused had already been granted bail, making Rampal eligible on grounds of parity.
The state opposed the plea, contending that Rampal had effectively held the women and others hostage in confined spaces, leading to suffocation and their subsequent deaths.
Rampal’s appeal against his conviction remains pending before the high court.
